


Catch My Dreams

by Serenityyyy



Series: Dreamcatcher [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/F, Happy 1st Anniversary!, Light Angst, Post-Break Up, Romance, Yousoro, bakachika, i'm very sorry for the sudden hiatus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2018-11-18 00:45:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 65,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11280222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serenityyyy/pseuds/Serenityyyy
Summary: But Elichi you said we’ll make it work!I’m sorry Nozomi, maybe this really isn’t for us.You promised me! You said we’ll make it through anything!We can’t really do anything now. This isn’t working. Goodbye, Nozomi.---Past lovers Nozomi and Eli meet again after years and Eli has something in mind...





	1. The New Client

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so please bear with me :v
> 
> Might have some spelling and/or grammar errors. Please do tell me if you notice anything. Thanks!

“Good morning Nozomi-chaaan!” Nozomi woke up by the greeting of her oh so energetic orange-haired friend. She looked at her bedside table and alarm clock with a frown. It’s only 6 am in the morning, what brought Rin in her apartment this early? And how did she manage to get in?

“Rin-chan what do you need from me this early!? And how did you get i-" She was interrupted by the girl’s tight embrace.

“I wanted to tell you that we got another client nya! And Nico-chan gave me your spare key! She said she had to walk her siblings to school early so she told me to go ahead here nya!” Her frown changed to a happy smile as she gently patted Rin’s head.

Once Rin was off of her, she went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Then she went back to her bedroom.

“You can just tell me that at my office you know. Maybe you just missed me? Do you want to get punished?”, she teasingly said as she threw her hands up in a _washi washi_ position.

“Noooo!!” Rin ran to hide behind the curtains of Nozomi’s bedroom.

“Just kidding just kidding ~”, Nozomi said, giggling.

Rin got out of the curtains and her eyes lit up and a grin formed on her face as she told Nozomi about their new client. Apparently, the new client is a big and famous flower shop near their photo studio. Nozomi was quite surprised because of all the big studios around here, why did they choose to work with her new and small one? Rin said that the assistant manager of the flower shop told Nico that their owner wanted to try something new and she recommended Nozomi’s studio for that very reason.

As she stood up to get ready for heading to their studio, Nico came in holding some folders.

“Oh Nicochi! We’re just getting ready to head to the studio!” She greeted her raven haired best friend with a big smile.

“Nozomi these are the documents about the work for our new client. Did Rin told you all about it?” Nico passed her the folders.

“Thanks Nicochi! Yes Rin-chan already told me about it. Let’s head to work then?”

* * *

 They were doing their assigned jobs at their studio, with Nozomi taking pictures of a family, Rin editing the pictures, and Nico handling the cashier; when the studio telephone rang.

“Hello, Spiritual Power Photography, Nico speaking!” Nico answered the phone enthusiastically.

“Ah yes yes, 2 pm today is a good time. Yes, the owner and I, together with a colleague will be there for the meeting. Okay we’ll meet you here at 2 pm then, thank you very much!”

“Is that our new client Nico-chan!?” Rin was as lively as ever.

“Yep! Nozomi! We’ll be meeting them here at 2 pm! That’s fine right?”, Nico asked her best friend.

“Okay Nicochi! That’s good!”, Nozomi answered as she took the last photo of the family.

“Aaand we’re done! Please wait a moment while your picture is edited and printed ~ “ She smiled at the family - who nodded and sat on the chairs at the side of the studio - as she handed Rin her camera. Rin took it and went back to the computer and started working.

* * *

 3 hours passed and it was now 1:00 pm. They’re having a quick and late lunch while waiting for their clients.

“Do you know the manager of the flower shop Nozomi?”, Nico asked the purple-haired as she took a bite of her sandwich.

“No, why do you ask?” Nozomi raised an eyebrow.

“Well, they seemed insistent to have you there at the meeting.", Nico shrugged.

“Maybe they found Nozomi-chan cute and wanted to meet her in person nya!”

“Don’t be ridiculous Rin, there’s no way it’s like that! Because if they found someone cute in our studio, it will be the great Nico Nii!” Nico winked and did her Nico Nico Nii catchphrase.

Nozomi just laughed at her friends and continued eating her lunch.

* * *

After an hour, Nozomi and Nico were at Nozomi’s office at the back of the studio, waiting for the arrival of their clients. Rin stayed at the studio to be their guide to Nozomi’s office.

A few minutes passed and Rin saw a car parked right in front of the shop. She immediately went to the door to open it for their guest and her eyes widened in surprise as she saw a familiar face.

“K-Kotori-chan!?”

“Rin-chan! It’s nice to see you again!” Kotori hugged the still surprised Rin.

When Rin composed herself, she let Kotori inside the studio and offered her a seat.

“Are you here for a photo Kotori-chan? I’m sorry but we’re on a break right now, we’ll meet a client anytime now nya...”

“Ah actually...” Kotori handed Rin a card showing a Flower Shop name above Kotori’s own name and a number that seemed to belong to her.

“Ehhh? You’re the client Kotori-chan!? You’re the owner of ChocoCoco Flower Shop!?”

“No no, I’m only one of the managers. The owner is…” As if on cue, a tall blonde woman entered the studio. Her blue eyes wandered around the area, taking it in.

“Eli-chan!?”

“Hi Rin, it’s been a while.” Eli smiled at Rin.

The ginger-haired gave the blonde a hug.

“L-let’s go to the owner’s office!” _Today sure is surprising!_ She thought.

Rin locked the front door of the studio and led her two friends slash clients in the office. Nozomi and Nico were in the middle of discussing something when they heard the door open. Nico was the first to look and stand up as Nozomi placed a file in the drawer of her table.

“Welcome to Spiritual Power Photo-" Nico stopped walking and her ruby eyes were in wide shock.

“Hi Nico, I am the owner of ChocoCoco Flower Shop.” Eli offered a handshake but Nico was still frozen.

Nozomi stood up and walked towards them when she noticed that they’re taking quite some time before sitting. She stiffened at the sight of her past lover and their friend, but she composed herself right away.

“Eli Ayase-san? Welcome to our studio, Spiritual Power Photography.” She smiled at Eli - who returned it with a sad expression in her eyes - offering her a handshake.

Eli nodded and responded to the handshake but Nozomi pulled away rather quickly.

“Your dream really came true huh, Nozomi? And your studio’s name really fits you”, Eli managed to say while they’re walking towards Nozomi’s table.

“We didn’t come here to talk about that Ayase-san, let’s get to business, shall we?” Nozomi said with the same smile.

“O-Oh I’m sorry. Yes, let us start, T-Toujou-san.” The blonde answered as she took a sit in front of Nozomi’s table.

Kotori sat opposite of Eli while Rin and Nico sat beside Nozomi behind her table.

Their meeting was in serious atmosphere, with Rin failing to liven up the mood. It ended after a few hours and Rin escorted the two at the front door of the studio.

When she came back to the office, she found her two colleagues arranging some papers in silence. Rin broke this as she said with a lively voice,

“The deal’s a pretty good one don’t you think so too nya?”

Nozomi looked up at her with a thinking expression.

“Yes but... I was thinking if the deadline is alright? Will we be able to finish it on time?”

“Of course nya! Leave it to my cramming skills that I haven’t used since high school!”

With that, Nozomi finally smiled genuinely and the two continued to talk about the deal. Nico couldn’t join the conversation as she was too worried at the meeting to absorb everything that was being said. She was thinking about Eli. _Why did she have to be their client? Will Nozomi be alright with this?_ As she thought about these, Rin caught her attention on the mention of Eli.

“But it’s still surprising that Eli-chan and Kotori-chan are our clients, isn’t it Nico-chan?”

“Y-yeah, I didn’t recognize Kotori’s voice, it has changed a lot! It’s more mature now and not that high pitched anymore!” Nico avoided to say Eli’s name as she looked at her best friend worriedly. She could see that her best friend’s smile faded at Rin’s mention of the name of her past lover.

“And now I know why that Flower Shop is named as it is! Nothing less from Muse’s chocolate lover - Eli-chan!”

“Rin, that’s enough. Let’s go back to the studio.” Nico shot a cold glare at Rin, who instantly looked scared and looked at the purple haired as if asking for help.

“It’s okay, Nicochi. Let’s go, Rin-chan!” She gave Nico and Rin a smile and headed back to the studio with the latter clinging on her arm.

* * *

 Rin was the first of the three to go home and it left the two in silence while cleaning and arranging some stuff in the studio.

“Nozomi...”, Nico said in a voice so quiet it could’ve been a whisper.

“Yes Nicochi~?” The purple haired gave her best friend the usual smile that she has on.

“I’m sorry..,” The ruby-eyed’s voice is still quiet.

“For what, Nicochi?”

“F-For earlier. I should’ve looked up the owner’s name before agreeing to the deal. And about Rin, I should’ve stopped her when she started to talk about those two.”

“Nicochi, as I said, it’s okay. Business is business, it doesn’t matter who our clients are. I will not let personal matters get in the way of our work. I think so does Ayase-san, I know how important her shop is to her. As for Rin-chan, it’s totally fine Nicochi, she doesn’t know anything that happened.”

“B-But Nozomi-“ She was cut off by Nozomi’s index finger on her lips.

“No buts Nicochi. It’s already getting late. Let’s go home before you worry your siblings, okay?” The green eyed smiled at Nico and turned back to get her things and muttered something to herself.

“I know how important her shop is to her.”


	2. I can't disappoint them.

It’s been three days after their meeting and the staff of Spiritual Power Photography was now at the main branch of ChocoCoco Flower Shop. It took them a while to get there as it was quite far from their studio.

“I didn’t think it would take us that long nya!”, Rin exclaimed as she hopped off the van.

“Me neither! I should’ve brought more sunblock! It’s sooo hooot!”, Nico complained as she followed her.

“Now now, calm down you two. We all thought that the one near our shop is their main branch, but as we can see, we are wrong.” Their purple haired boss was the last one to come out.

“Let’s go nya!”

They were welcomed by a pair of men in black suit who escorted them to the main office of Eli.

* * *

In the office, they were greeted by an energetic Kotori, and behind her was a familiar redhead.

“Is that you, Maki-chan?”, the purple-haired asked.

“Well, yeah” It really was Maki. They were all surprised by the appearance of their _tomato_ friend.

“It’s Maki-chan nya!” Rin jumped excitedly to hug the redhead tightly.

“R-Rin, get off me, I can’t b-breathe!” Maki struggled to free herself from her friend’s grasp.

She composed herself when she was finally free from Rin.

“It’s been a long time Maki-chan! How are you doing?”, green eyes asked with curiosity.

“Fine, I guess”, the redhead shrugged.

Nico remained quiet while her friends were fussing about Maki.

“So what are you doing here nya!?”

“I’m Eli’s business partner.”

“Ehhh? This is the business that you mentioned to me and Kayo-chin?”

“Yeah”

Just then, the door opened and revealed their blonde friend. In her hands were a few folders containing the documents for their project.

“Oh good, everyone’s here. Please take your seats”, she said as she took her own seat. The other girls nodded and sat.

“Let’s do a quick summary of our project first, shall we? Kotori?", the blonde started.

“Yes! So our project will be for the magazine featuring ChocoCoco Flower Shops.” The ash blonde smiled at her friends.

“Today, we will be taking photos of our heads first, their family, and the main branch. So that will be the Ayases and Nishikinos for today. Is that okay with you?” She continued happily.

Nozomi stiffened for a bit at the mention of the Ayases.

“T-The Ayases?”, she asked.

“Yes, they will be here in an hour”, Kotori replied, still smiling.

“The first part of the magazine will be about the first steps of the Flower Shop, my family helped me a lot in this so it’s only natural that they’ll be in it too”, Eli added.

“I see. Please continue Minami-san” Nozomi looked at her.

“Okay, so for tomorrow and the rest of the week, we will be taking trips all over the country to take shots of our branches. But starting next week, as discussed o  the first meeting, we'll be meeting each other on Thursdays. There will also be a celebrity who’ll be in the magazine too. She will be our official endorser.” The ash blonde’s smile became wider and closer to a grin.

“And that will be me!” A ginger-haired girl suddenly slammed the door open. Behind her was a woman with short brown hair and glasses.

The girls all looked at the new person, half of them with a surprised look.

“H-Honoka-chan!?” Rin stood up from her seat, eyes still wide.

“The one and only Honoka!” Honoka grinned happily at their friends, giving them a peace sign.

“And Hanayo-chan is here too?”, Nozomi asked, looking curiously at the other girl.

“Y-yes! I’m her m-manager”, Hanayo said shyly.

“Kayo-chiiiin!” Rin hugged her best friend.

“And with that, there’s only one person left. Come in dear!”, Kotori called the person outside the office.

What stood in front of their eyes was their blue haired friend, Umi Sonoda.

“Good day everyone, it’s nice to see you all” The girl gave them a smile and a light bow.

“She will be the writer for our magazine”, Eli said.

“This is like a reunion nya!” The youngest one of them raised her fist in happiness.

The girls chatted for a while, catching up on their lives. Nozomi cleared her throat.

“I believe we are all here for business? We can save the chat for later.” She gave them a smile.

“A-ah yes, yes you’re right.” Eli nodded.

Kotori finished their summary and they all headed to a nearby canteen for a quick meal. The breakfast was lively, mainly because of the two ginger-haireds. They were all talking a lot with each other, apart from Nozomi and Nico, who seemed to silently discuss some things for their project.

* * *

When they returned to the shop, they were informed that the Ayases and Nishikinos had arrived. The three staff of Spiritual Power Photography quickly set their cameras and other equipment for the shoot.

The first photos were of Eli and some flowers. Nico took them as Nozomi was still busy with setting up. The next were of Maki and her family, and the two switched, with Nozomi taking their pictures.

“Okay next is… Ayase family, together with Eli-san!”, Nico said as she looked at her list. She worriedly looked at her best friend and approached her.

“Wanna switch?”, she asked quietly.

“No, I’m fine Nicochi.” The green eyed gave her a smile that she knew was fake.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“Fine, just tell me if you want to, okay?”

Nozomi nodded as she walked to approach the Ayases.

“Nozomi-san!” Eli’s little sister noticed her. She waved at her and gave her a smile.

“Hello Alisa-san” The purple haired returned the smile.

“ _San_?”, the blonde asked, confused.

“We’re at work” was the only response she gave Alisa before nodding and approaching Mr. and Mrs. Ayase.

“Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Ayase. Please take a seat here on the couch”, she told them.

Eli’s parents looked at her surprisingly but said nothing as they did what they’re told to. Alisa and Eli then came over and she instructed them to stand behind the couch.

Once they’re in position, Nozomi looked at them and started to take pictures.

“Mrs. Ayase, move a bit to your left please. Mr. Ayase, sit straighter. Okay, fierce faces please.” As she told them this, she looked at them through her camera. Memories came flashing back to her as she saw them with serious expressions.

 

_Their cold and piercing eyes._

_The disgusted look on their faces._

_The look of disappointment towards their own daughter._

_**You should be ashamed of yourselves.** They said._

 

All these, eight years ago, when Eli had introduced her as her girlfriend for the first time. The day after that, Nozomi had her very first heartbreak.

 

_I’m sorry._

_I can’t let down their expectations._

_I can’t disobey them._

_I can’t_ disappoint _them._

_Goodbye, Nozomi._

 

This made Nozomi tremble and drop her camera. Nico quickly came over her.

“Nozomi! Are you okay!? Let’s switch!” Her voice brought her back to the present.

“A-ah, I’m sorry! I just kinda spaced out a bit. Hehe. It’s okay Nicochi, this is the last shot anyway. We’ll take a break after this one, right?” The purple haired gave her a smile.

Just then, Nozomi felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” It was Eli, wearing a worried look on her face.

The purple haired quickly composed herself.

“I am fine Ayase-san. Please go back there so we can finish the last shot”, she said with an emotionless face.

“Are you sure? Is it too hot here? I can get you some wat-”

“Ayase-san. I. Am. Fine.” She gave the blonde a piercing look.

“A-ah I’m sorry, I was just worried.”

“Eli-san, if you don’t mind, can we go back to work now?” Nico looked at her, annoyed.

“Y-yes, sorry.” The blue-eyed looked at Nozomi once again before going back to the couch.

* * *

It was already 10 pm when they finished the photoshoot at the main branch of the flower shop. They all stayed until the end of it.

They were back at Eli's office to discuss their progress of the day and some other things for the magazine.

After their discussion, Nozomi excused herself to pack their remaining things outside. Hanayo, Maki, and Rin were chatting about themselves while Honoka, Umi, and Kotori talked about their respective works for the magazine. Nico quietly approached Eli.

"What the hell are you up to, Ayase?" The raven haired gave the blonde a piercing look.

"What do you mean?" The blue-eyed had an idea but acted confused.

"What the fuck was that earlier!?" Six pairs of eyes suddenly had their attention to them, mostly on Nico.

"What earlier?" Eli was still calm.

"Stop playing dumb with me asshole." The smaller of the two crossed her arm in front of her chest.

"What is happening here?", Umi asked, eyebrows narrowing. Everyone looked at them expectantly.

"I don’t kno-” The blonde was interrupted by another one of Nico's shouting.

"I'm not stupid Eli! I will fucking kill you if you do something horrible to her again!"

"Her?" It was Rin's turn to ask.

"N-Nozomi." The black haired looked at the ground.

"Hmm? What's with me?" The purple haired suddenly entered the room, giving them a confused look.

"N-Nozomi!" Nico was surprised, just as everyone else in the room.

"Yeah, that's me? And why are you all looking like you've just seen a ghost?" Nozomi gave them another confused look.

"H-How long have you been here?" The ruby-eyed asked.

"I just came. All I heard was my name. What were you talking about anyway?"

"Apparently, we were just talking about y--ouch!" Rin winced in pain as Nico pinched her on her arm.

"We were just talking about how you wonderfully took the photos earlier, Nozomi."

"Oh, I see. Thanks then~" The emerald-eyed gave them an innocent smile.

"Y-yeah" Nico forced a smile.

"Well it's time to go now, Nicochi, Rin-chan!"

"Ah yes! You can go ahead in the van Nozomi, we'll arrange our papers here."

"Okay~" With that, Nozomi left again.

When Nico was sure she was gone, she turned back to Eli.

"We're not done talking yet, Ayase." She wore an angry expression.

"Would you please enlighten us as well?", Umi respectfully asked.

"Yeah, it's bad to keep secrets nya!"

"Fine. Let's meet up after tomorrow's shoot at my apartment. Our first destination is near it after all." Eli sighed.

They all nodded and packed their own things, then headed to their own destinations, leaving the blonde alone in her office. She mumbled something to herself.

"I'll get you back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I've posted this a day earlier because I don't think I can do something tomorrow because of school :/
> 
> Been feeling sick the whole day, and I have a test on Pre-Calculus tomorrow so good luck to me :v
> 
> Again, if you notice some errors please do tell me about it! Comments and/or criticisms are welcomed!
> 
> Have a nice day~ 
> 
> Lovelots~ <3


	3. Please stop doing this to me.

It was a hot sunny day. They were doing their work at a branch of ChocoCoco Flower Shops.

“Time for a short break everyone!”, Eli called out and waved at them.

“We just took a break an hour ago, we can still go on”, Nozomi said, though there’s a hint of tiredness in her voice.

“But it’s hot so we should regularly take a break”, the blonde said with a worried look on her face.

“How can we finish this in time if we always _take a break_?”, the purple haired asked coldly, emphasizing her last words.

“B-But-“

“We’re fine, Ayase-san. The three of us are the only ones working out here anyway.” She glanced at Nico and Rin who nodded in agreement.

“O-Okay”

* * *

They finished earlier than expected since Nozomi refused to take any more breaks.

“Nozomi, you can go home first. Rin and I will pack up then we have to pick up some things from the grocery," Nico told her as she placed her camera on the table.

“I can go with you.” She gave her a tired smile.

“No, we can do it ourselves. You’re tired”, Nico argued.

“I’m not.”

“You are. Now go, go!” Nico turned Nozomi around, hands on her shoulder, and pushed her to the door.

“Okay, okay! No need to push me.” She turned around and said with an attempted pout.

“Take care okay?” Her best friend gave her a caring smile.

“Will do. Bye Nicochi! Say goodbye to everyone for me too.” She returned the smile.

“Mhm”

* * *

 Silence enveloped Eli’s apartment with no one wanting to speak first.

“Umm a-anyone want bread? I h-have some!”, Honoka suddenly said nervously.

“No, we’re here to talk.” Eli stood up.

“Yeah, so what’s your deal, _Ayase_?” Nico crossed her arms and put a leg above the other.

“I’m doing nothing wrong Nico.”

“What the fu-”

“Can you please explain everything to us first before you start bickering? We look like idiots here not knowing what is happening.” Umi interrupted the raven haired.

“I want to get back with Nozomi”, Eli said with determination.

“And leave her again like you used to!?” Crimson eyes were burning at her as the black haired stood up.

“No. I won’t leave her this time Nico.”

“This time?” Rin tilted her head to the side confusingly.

“This idiot left my best friend more than once.” Nico’s voice was filled with anger and hatred.

“What!?”, Honoka and Rin chorused.

“C-Can you tell us what happened please? I still don’t understand.” It was Hanayo’s turn to speak.

“As I said, I want to get back with Nozomi. This time, I will not leave her for sure. I love her so much and it pains me knowing that I broke her heart more than once and I can’t do anything about it." Eli spoke with so much pain and sorrow in her voice.

“You had your chances Ayase.” Nico sat at the couch again, arms still folded.

“Yes, I admit I wasted my chances. So I promise all of you that I will get one last chance and not waste it again for stupid reasons.”

“Yeah. Stupid _really_ fits you. It really is stupid of you to leave her just because your parents said no to your relationship back then. Did you know that was the reason she spaced out yesterday? T’was because of the sight of you and your parents! I know she’s still in pain seeing all of you, remembering those memories!” Nico paused, and looked at the confused faces of everyone except Maki and Eli. “You heard that right girls. This idiot’s parents didn’t accept Nozomi immediately. She broke up with her the day after she introduced her as her girlfriend.”

“She still remembers that? But my parents eventually accepted and loved her!”

“Of course she does. Who do you think she is? Some idiot like you? And yeah, they did. Only because my mom talked to them.” The raven haired raised an eyebrow smugly.

“What? She did?” It was Eli’s turn to be shocked.

“’Cause she saw Nozomi crying in my arms at home. She was also hurt at the sight. Then we told her what happened and she got pissed at your parents too. Days after, she noticed Nozomi wasn’t being herself and always spacing out to the point that she broke two mugs of ours while drinking tea. So she went to your parents for a small  _chat_.” She emphasized her last word by holding up two fingers of each hand motioning up and down to create quotation marks.

“That, I didn’t know” Maki said while twirling stands of her hair with her fingers.

“Of course you don’t. Why would you?” Nico spoke for the first time with Maki.

“I was always close with Yazawa-san.”

“Yeah, before you _chose_ to fuck my life and leave me”, the crimson eyed said with a smirk.

“Don’t bring our past into this.” The redhead narrowed her eyebrows.

“Sure. So back to the topic, have you ever thought that you already hurt her enough Ayase? Are you still on your _right_ mind thinking that you can go back together? The way you used to? Huh?” She turned back to Eli.

“Of course I know that we won’t be like back then. And yes I’ve hurt her so much, so I want to change that. I want to make her happy and feel loved again so she can forget the feeling of pain and loneliness. I believe I can do that.” Eli’s eyes were once again filled with pain and sorrow.

“And what makes you say that? What makes you so sure that she will let you do that?” Nico raised an eyebrow.

“Because I believe in Nozomi’s love for me. I know she loves me. I see it in her eyes. She feels pain because she still loves me.” The blonde’s voice was determined.

“ _Stupid_ love.” The raven haired rolled her eyes.

“May I know why you left her the last time?” Kotori asked.

“I-It’s because of work.” Eli looked at the ground.

“She left her saying she won’t have time for Nozomi once she opened her shop”, Nico said.

“And Nozomi accepted it?” Umi raised her eyebrows.

“Of course not. She even offered to help with the shop didn’t she?” The red-eyed raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. But it’s my mistake to leave her because of that. We could’ve made this shop successful together.” The blonde bit her lip to stop her tears from flowing. “I was thinking that I would’ve hurt Nozomi and it’s unfair to her when I start focusing on the shop and have no time for her, you know how I am, I always work the hardest. So I thought that ending our relationship for good would be the best way for us. But it only ended up with hurting the both of us more.” But it failed, tears came flowing from her eyes. Maki rushed to her, held her in her arms and sat her on the couch.

“What a _really_ stupid decision.” Nico once again rolled her eyes.

“But why only now, of all times? You could’ve made up with her years ago. Why now, after _five_ years?” There’s a more serious look on Umi’s face.

“Because as she said, she didn’t have the time then. Work didn’t even let her meet _us_. She was _always_ needed at work. So I decided to be her business partner, to help her.” Maki answered for Eli as Eli was still crying in her shoulder.

“A-and I was… a c-coward… I didn’t have any… courage… to face her again… after all I did to her…”, the blonde managed to say between her sobs and hiccups.

“Oh, sounds like someone I know. Good thing you know that” The crimson eyed smirked.

“I said don’t bring that up.” The redhead gave a piercing look on Nico.

“I didn’t say anything about you though. _Guilty_?” Her smirk grew bigger.

“Stop, you two.” The blue haired looked at them.

“So anyway, after that, Nozomi ended up the same way. She focused on her studies. She took Business even though she still hasn’t finished her Photography course. So she had to work extra hard. Sometimes, she would spend a night at my apartment ‘cause it’s nearer to her University. After finishing Photography, she worked at a Studio while still pursuing Business. She was always sleepless and I’ve always told her to take it easy and chill, but she says that she need to focus on her work because chilling won’t get her anywhere. It all paid off though, she graduated both courses with honors and now she has her own Photo Studio.” Nico frowned at remembering the memories but still smiled at the thought of her best friend achieving her _dream_.

“So that’s why she really works extra hard now without taking any breaks!” Rin opened her mouth in realization.

“Yeah! I noticed that too! Back then, she would always say that we should take a break so we don’t end up exhausting ourselves in practice!” Honoka did the same thing.

“B-but isn’t she working too hard? Isn’t she pushing herself to her limit?”, Hanayo asked worriedly.

“Actually, she is. That’s why I gave up being an idol and helped her with her studio. Whenever I feel like she’s killing herself with work, I tell her to leave everything in the studio to me and rest. Sometimes, she would immediately do as I say, but most of the time, I need to personally take her home so she can’t refuse to rest.” She replied with as much worry in her eyes.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you…” Eli’s face was buried in her hands, elbows on her knees.

“The past is past” Nico paused.

The blonde looked up at her expectantly.

“But I still won’t let you do anything to her.” She continued as she gave her a piercing look.

“I’ve decided Nico. I will get Nozomi back and make her the happiest woman.” Blue eyes were filled with sudden determination as she stood up. “Hearing that story made me want to make up for my mistakes more. I want her to be back to herself, to the Nozomi who always remember not to push us and herself to the limits, the Nozomi that takes care of herself, me, and all of Muse.”

“Oh, no, you won’t. You won’t do anything to get her back. She’s suffered enough! I’m tired of seeing Nozomi crying and hurting herself! As I said, the past is in the past! This is the reality now! Nozomi became like that because of you! **_You_** pushed her to the limits! Enough of this bullshit Eli!” Nico stood up, tears starting to form in her eyes.

“That’s why I need to be the one to change her for the better!”

“I’m with Eli. I know everything that has happened and I am certain that Eli has changed a lot because of her love for Nozomi. If we truly want them to be happy, we would just let them make up.” Maki stood beside Eli giving her a small smile.

“Thanks, Maki.”

“I’m sorry but, this time, I agree with Nico. I believe Nozomi has had enough of this. She already had enough pain and suffering. There’s no guarantee that Nozomi will accept Eli again after all that happened. If it so happened that she didn’t, it would only cause her more pain.” Umi walked beside Nico and gave her a pat on the back.

“But dear, we won’t know that until we try! I believe in the love and bond that Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan shared! I think it would work out now because the both of them had matured over time.” Kotori contradicted her girlfriend as she stood at the other side of Eli.

“Kotori, this isn’t that simple. I don’t think Nozomi is willing to open her heart yet again.” Umi explained.

“But that’s because nothing had happened yet regarding that matter. If Eli-chan tries to make things up with her I’m sure she’ll eventually open her heart for her again.” The ash blonde answered.

“I don’t think so nya!” Rin stood up and cling to Nico’s arm. “Because I think Nozomi-chan already lost interest in love. She doesn’t even tease me with Kayo-chin now! Right, Nico-chan?” In which Nico nodded in agreement.

This made Hanayo blush, but she went to the side of Kotori. “But Rin-chan, as Kotori-chan said, we won’t know until we try...”

“Well, as long as everyone’s happy, I won’t say a thing.” Honoka remained seated as she grabbed something from her bag. Everyone looked at her.

“Enough talking about serious matters everyone, time for dinner!” She exclaimed as she held her bread up to show it to everyone. The tense atmosphere slowly faded away.

“I guess you’re right. It’s getting late now too. Let’s all have dinner together, shall we?” Eli said as gave Honoka a smile.

“I’m going home. My siblings are waiting for me.” Nico said as she turned to the door and waved at her friends. “See ya tomorrow”

“Bye Nico-chan!” The ginger-haireds greeted back and returned the wave to Nico’s back as she got out.

“I’ll quickly cook dinner, please sit there and make yourselves at home everyone.” The blonde said as she went to the kitchen.

* * *

 Rain was pouring and Nozomi engulfed herself in her blanket as she sat down her couch. She turned the TV on and started sipping her tea. As the minutes passed by, she found herself just staring at her tea in deep thoughts with the sound of the TV being just a background noise. Closing her eyes, she mumbled.

“Please stop doing this to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Please do tell me if there are errors :)
> 
> Comments/criticisms are welcomed! Lovelots! <3


	4. Let's Chill!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico, Rin, and Nozomi goes to the Amusement Park to enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than expected despite it being short, so sorry 'bout that. I hope you enjoy reading!

It was 7 in the morning when I decided to do something for my best friend, Nozomi. She’s always working so I thought maybe we could go hang out somewhere and have fun for a change (so she can also forget about our damn blonde client). That’s why I had Rin wake up earlier so we could go to Nozomi’s apartment to fetch her, so she can’t refuse to go with us. On our way there, I sent a message to our group chat to check if she’s awake already. I also had Rin chat there so Nozomi won’t know that we’re on our way. I’m pretty smart right? Of course I am, I am the great Nico Nii after all!

**Spiritual Powah**

**NumberOneIdol** : Hey girls, you awake?

 **WashiWashi** : Yes I just woke up :)

 **RamenIsLife** : Good morning nya!! :D :D :D

 **WashiWashi** : Woah someone’s extra happy today! And early too!

 **RamenIsLife** : Of course nya! We have the day off after all ~

 **NumberOneIdol** : Yeah so wanna hang out?

 **WashiWashi** : Yes let’s hang out at the studio so we can start editing the photos for our clients.

 **NumberOneIdol** : Nozomi

 **NumberOneIdol** : You do realize that’s not what I meant by _hang out_ right?

As always, all she thought about was work. I sighed as I pat Rin’s shoulder and gave her a look. She immediately nodded and typed a message.

 **RamenIsLife** : We should go check out the new restaurant in town!

 **WashiWashi** : But we have work to do.

 **NumberOneIdol** : I always tell you

 **WashiWashi** : That we should chill sometimes, yeah. But Nicochi we can’t waste precious time in stuff other than work.

 **RamenIsLife** : But that’s the point of our day off -3-

 **NumberOneIdol** : Rin’s right. You’ll kill yourself if all you do is work

 **RamenIsLife** : Just come with us Nozomi-chan! Just for todaaay! We’ll have lots of fun nya!

 **WashiWashi** : But what if we don’t finish our project on time? What if we mess up because we slacked off when we had work to do?

 **NumberOneIdol** : What if you just come with us coz we’re already at your apartment

 **WashiWashi** : What

And that was the signal for Rin to swing open the door of Nozomi’s apartment. I had a spare key in case something happened so unlocking it wasn’t a problem.

“Girls!”, Nozomi exclaimed as she looked at us with a shocked face, her phone still in her hands.

“Morning, Nozomi”, I greeted with a smirk. Rin did the same too, but with a more energetic and excited face. I looked at her completely as we approached her. Hmm? She’s still covered by her blanket, did she fall asleep at her couch? Her eyes are a bit swollen and red too, did she cry herself to sleep? And goodness! There’s a broken mug on the floor!

“Nozomi what the fuck happened!?” I quickly came by her side to examine her.

“What?”, She asked innocently, like she doesn’t know a single thing happening around her.

“Why's there a broken mug on your floor?”, I asked again, but with a calmer tone, and gestured to the floor.

“Hmm?” She looked down, and a look of realization came to her face. “Oh, it must’ve slipped in my hands when I suddenly fell asleep here. Sorry” She gave me a sheepish smile as she rubbed the back of her neck. _Looks like that’s the truth._

“Why are your eyes kinda red Nozomi-chan?” Rin took the words out of my mouth. 

“I just rubbed them a bit hard Rin-chan, I stayed up later than usual so they hurt when I woke up.” I doubt that. She _definitely_ cried herself to sleep. She really needed to go out and have fun. 

“Go take a shower Nozomi. I’ll clean this mess. Then we’ll go out and chill. No buts and excuses”, I said as I stood up to get the broom and dustpan. Nozomi just sighed and went to the bathroom. Good job, me!

“Rin you go put her blanket back on her bedroom.” And Rin did so with an excited ‘nya!’.

After a while, Nozomi went back to her living room with a small bag on her shoulder.

“Where are we even going?”, She asked.

“To the new restaurant nya!” Rin exclaimed.

“Then to the Amusement Park” I grinned at my best friend.

“We’ll have lots and lots of fun!” Rin clung at Nozomi’s arm.

“Let’s go!” I clenched my fist and raised into the air as I grinned again and started walking to the door. 

“Yeah!” Rin did the same and tugged Nozomi along with her.

Nozomi, feeling defeated, just sighed and raised her fist weakly, letting Rin drag her along. “Yeah…”

* * *

On our way to the restaurant, Nozomi was constantly spacing out.

“Nozomi” I called to her softly. But it seemed like she didn’t hear me, so I called again, with a bit louder voice, “Nozomi.”

“Yes Nicochi?” She looked up at me, giving me a small smile, a small fake smile.

“Is everything alright?” I knew the answer but still asked.

“Yes, I’m just still kinda sleepy” She gave me a tired smile, followed by a yawn.

“Just tell me if something’s wrong okay?” I patted her shoulder. She just nodded with a smile.

* * *

We arrived at the restaurant named “Yousoro” at 9 am. We ordered our food and looked for a vacant table. Even at this hour, there’s plenty of people already! The food here must be delicious! After a minute or so of looking, we found an empty table beside the window and sat there.

After a while, a waiter arrived with our food. Rin was eager to eat and grabbed her chopsticks immediately.

“Thank you for the food!”, she exclaimed as she started to dig in. Nozomi and I followed her actions, but more calmly.

“Mhm! Thish ish vewy dewicious nya!”, Rin said while chewing.

“Rin-chan, it’s bad to speak while chewing!”, Nozomi said with a chuckle.

“I must agree though, it’s very tasty. No wonder this place got so many customers at an early hour.” I smiled and looked around.

“That’s true. I’m glad we checked this place out.” My best friend beamed.

“Kayo-chin’s the one who recommended this place!” Rin swallowed her food, and grinned. “She still didn’t eat here but she said her friend did and told her how amazing the food here was!”

“Really? Say thanks to her for us then”, Nozomi said as she took a bite of her food.

* * *

The three of us enjoyed the food and the ambiance of the place. It was a sea-themed restaurant, but the food wasn’t limited to seafoods. After eating, we went to the train station to get to the Amusement Park.

Upon arrival, Rin and I excitedly went to the roller coaster, with Nozomi following behind.

“Are you sure we’ll ride this immediately? Why don’t we try the lighter rides first?”, Nozomi asked, with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Oh? Is someone scared?” I smirked and asked with a teasing tone.

“Nozomi-chan’s scared of heights nya!?”

“I-I’m not scared! I’m just… w-worried that we may throw up! We just ate after all!” Nozomi said defensively. She’s just scared though. But she does have a point. We ate a lot too.

“Eh, I guess you’re right. Let’s go to the Carousel first then!”, I said as I grabbed Nozomi and Rin on the wrists and headed to the said ride.

* * *

I was thinking about what happened today. I was really happy. It was a great break from work. My plan seemed to work too. Nozomi looked like she was really enjoying our trip. I’m glad she did. I hope we’ll be able to chill occasionally like this from now on, so she won’t overwork herself.

I was walking in front of my friends on our way to Nozomi’s apartment. We’ve decided to stay the night there to watch some movies-an extended hang out, you could say.

“I enjoyed our trip sooo much! We should eat at Yousoro again, the food there was wonderful!”, I said happily without looking back. “We should take my siblings there too, don’t you think?”, I asked, and waited for their response. 

But there came nothing.

I turned around to look at them. 

“Rin? Nozomi?” My eyes widened at the sight of no one. My heart began to pound loudly as sweat rolled down my face. Where the hell were they? They were just here a moment ago, right? What happe—my thoughts were interrupted as I felt a hand on my face and my vision went blank. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what happened..... What do you guys think?
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!
> 
> Lovelots~ <3


	5. All or None

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work is more important than everything else.
> 
> -Nozomi Toujou

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments!

The owner of the hand that covered Nico’s face brought her somewhere, with their hand still on her face. Nico was struggling to be freed but it was no use as it seemed that the person was somewhat strong. Once in place - the park, Nico assumed, because she could hear kids shouting and the sound of the swing, the person stopped. As the ruby-eyed tried to bite the hand covering her face, it suddenly let go of her causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. She opened her eyes and saw the same hand that covered her face a minute ago reaching out to help her up. Hesitant, she looked up to the person owning the hand. Shock and relief came to her face as she saw her blue-haired friend – Umi Sonoda. She was wearing an apologetic and worried expression.

Grabbing the hand to help her up, Nico grumbled, “Umi what the hell”

“I’m sorry Nico”, the blue haired said.

“We had no choice”, a new voice suddenly said. The raven haired looked around and saw Kotori, Honoka by her side. Nozomi and Rin were there too, safe and sound. _Oh thank goodness they’re fine_ , she thought.

“What happened?”, she asked, still confused.

“We’ll talk about it at my place! The others are already there~”, Honoka said cheerfully.

With that, they went to Honoka’s place. 

* * *

Yukiho welcomed them as they arrived.

“It’s nice to see you again after so long!”, she exclaimed as she opened the door for them.

“It’s nice to see you too, how have you been?” Nozomi smiled.

“There are times I’m down of course, but other than that, everything’s been well Nozomi-san! Alisa’s always there for me too.” Yukiho returned the smile innocently. The purple haired’s smile seemed to fade.

“Yukiho! Go get tea for us!”, Honoka shouted suddenly. The redhead turned back to her sister. 

“Yes, don’t need to shout!”, she said as she proceeded to the kitchen.

Nozomi and the others went to Honoka’s room, and saw Maki, Eli, and Hanayo.

When they settled down, Nico asked, “so what the hell happened that you need to kidnap us?”

“It was to avoid commotion. I’m really sorry for that Nico”, Umi said softly.

“Yeah it’s fine, so what’s wrong?”, the raven-haired shrugged.

Hanayo then brought out a newspaper and placed it on the table. Rin grabbed it and read the headline aloud:

“Muse spotted together again after years, is this a reunion!?”

“What” Three pairs of eyes widened in shock.

“Seems like someone saw us while we’re on work the other day and took a photo. The fans were so excited, thinking that we’ll be back in the idol world again.” Eli sighed.

“And it looks like they want and are expecting a Reunion Live”, Hanayo added.

“Guess I should start with the music huh” Maki muttered.

“I should be able to write lyrics within a week too”, Umi said rather excitedly.

“Wait, we haven’t even decided yet if we’re doing the live…” Hanayo said softly after looking at an uncomfortable Nozomi “but it would be nice if we could…”

“Yeah”, Eli agreed.

“Let’s do it!” Honoka jumped to the table, eyes sparkling and raised her fist.

“Nya!” Rin imitated her gestures.

“We can have the draft of our costumes now~” Kotori chirped.

 _This will be a good break from work_ , Nico thought.

Everyone was filled with excitement until Nozomi spoke.

“But we have lots of work to do.”

“I can adjust the schedule of the magazine’s release. We're not really in a hurry for it”, Eli said with a smile.

“We should enjoy ourselves too, Nozomi. Don’t you want to sing with us again?” The black-haired pouted.

“We just enjoyed ourselves earlier, didn’t we?” The purple-haired raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but that and this are different!”, Nico said defensively.

“Nicochi, everyone, we all live different lives now. We aren’t like who we were eight years ago. We have much work to do and responsibilities to carry. We can’t just go and sing like we used to. We are different now”, Nozomi said with a serious face.

“It’s just one live, Nozomi-chan… What it’s gonna hurt?” Honoka slumped back down on her seat.

“It’s not like we’re gonna go back to being idols”, Maki added.

“Yes but just one live will take a lot of time and effort that should be given and spent with work”, Nozomi answered expressionlessly.

“Nozomi, this will be a great break from work. You should enjoy more and work less y’know?” Nico looked at her with very worried eyes.

“Work is more important than everything else Nicochi.” She gave the black-haired a smile that didn’t look even a bit real.

“Is there not a chance for you to change your mind, Nozomi-chan?”, Kotori asked.

“I apologize girls, I know you want to do it but I really think we shouldn’t.” Still with no expression.

“Then I guess it can’t be helped. We won’t do a live. All or none right?” Honoka stood up and smiled.

“Yeah nya!” Rin once again raised her fist.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

“Onee-chan, I brought your tea!” It was Yukiho.

Honoka opened the door for her and she came in, putting the tray of tea on the table with a plate of sweets.

“I need to go.” Nozomi stood up and slung her bag on her shoulder.

“Ah Nozomi wait.” Nico followed and looked at Rin, who did the same. “We’re staying over right?”

“Maybe next time Nicochi, Rin-chan, I have things to settle.” She gave them a nod and a smile and walked to the door. “I’ll see you all tomorrow at work.” She waved. 

“Let me walk you to the door” Yukiho followed.

“Thanks, Yukiho-chan.”

* * *

They were at yet another branch of ChocoCoco Flower Shops. 

Umi was interviewing a worker while Rin and Nozomi were taking photos of Honoka.

“Nozomi switch” Nico came over to Nozomi and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

“I can still go on Nicochi” She gave her a smile.

“Yeah but I’m going to feel useless if I don’t do anything here. I haven’t even got to take a single photo yet!”, the black-haired complained. It was another thing to do to convince Nozomi other than saying she needed a break.

The purple haired chuckled. “Fine, fine.” She gave her camera to her best friend.

“Okay good.” Nico smirked as she took the camera. “Go sit there and play with kids or something.”

“No, I’ll be checking the other photos on the laptop.” The purple haired turned her back and went to the nearby bench.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise as she saw a lovely white rose on top of her bag. She took it and turned to her friends.

“Whose flower is thi—” she stopped as she saw a card fell from it. It was a neat baby blue card. A name was beautifully handwritten on it – **_Nozomi_**. 

 _From whom did this come from?_ She thought. 

 _No, please, no._  

She placed the rose and the card in her bag and took her laptop out. She tried to forget that rose and focused on her work. But it seemed like fate wouldn’t let her do so, as she found herself always looking at her bag where she put the flower in, every time she saw a flower on the photos. She slumped down on the table and covered her face with her hands.

 _Focus, Nozomi._ She said to herself.

_Focus, you have work to do._

_Work is always more important than everything else._

_That is just a rose._

_Just like any other ordinary rose._

Just then, Nozomi flinched at the noise of her phone ringing. She lazily took it from her pocket and answered it, without looking at the number.

“Hello? Who’s this?”, she asked. The other line spoke.

“Oh I’m fine, I’m fine”, she said. The other line spoke again and Nozomi listened intently, taking in every word that the other person was saying. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was.

“What? Really? Do you need me to pick you up?”

“I’ll see you at home later then! I’ll tell Nicochi too! I love you!” Nozomi’s eyes lit up as she stood up and rushed to Nico; passing by an unnoticed blonde.

“Nicochi!”, she called out. Upon hearing this, Nico quickly turned around to see Nozomi worriedly.

“Nozomi what-” She was interrupted by Nozomi’s wide grin and sparkling eyes.

“Hiro-kun’s coming home tonight!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Who do you think is coming home? ;)
> 
> Have a great day everyone! Lovelots! <3


	6. Unwind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli unwinds and Nozomi sees her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos dear Readers! <3  
> And I'm so sorry for hurting Eli lol  
> Will we know who Hiro-kun is in this chapter? Let's read and find out!

Eli was restless ever since the moment she heard that a certain “Hiro-kun” - whom Nozomi said _I love you_ to - would come home. She rethought her plans to get Nozomi back.

_Is this really the right thing to do?_

She thought so hard on how to get her back, without considering her status. She forgot that Nozomi may have already found someone that will love her truly and keep her no matter what happens.

She slumped on her table and closed her eyes.

_Will I get her back?_

**_Can I_ ** _even?_

_She seems so happy talking to that Hiro-kun_

_Maybe Nico’s right_

_Maybe she’ll be happier without me_

_Maybe it’s better if I leave her alone_

_Should I give up?_

_No, **no.**_

_I can’t give up this easily_

_I love her so much_

_This is just the start_

_You can do this Eli_

_Nobody said she’s in love with someone else_

_That Hiro may just be her roommate or something_

_She did say he’s coming home so…_

_But why did she say **I love you**?_

_No, no_

_Everything will be fine_

_She will love me once more_

_And I will never let her go again_

_I love you, Nozomi._

She opened her eyes and found Maki looking at her across the room.

“M-Maki since when are you here?” She sat back up.

“A while ago. You seem stressed the last few days, what’s wrong?”, Maki asked as she took her mug and sipped her coffee.

“It’s nothing.” She shook her head and stood. “What brings you here anyway? And what’s with the coffee at this time of the day? It’s almost 3 pm”

“Shut up. Ain’t got any sleep since yesterday. You know, doctor things.” Another sip. “Just came to ask if you wanna go with me to check out this new bar near the shrine later. Thought you need some time to unwind. You can tell me what’s bothering you there.”

“We have a photoshoot today Maki. The break’s almost over.” She sighed as she took some papers from the drawer of her table.

“We can leave that to Kotori. Just come with me Eli, Nozomi’s not even here so why stay” Maki smirked.

“T-This is my business Maki, so why won’t I be here?”, the blonde said defensively.

“Eh, isn’t Nozomi the reason why you got SP Photography to make your magazine? Why’s she not here by the way?” The redhead twirled strands of her hair using her fingers.

“Nico said she has some things to… t-to attend to.” The blonde looked at the ground. She frowned at the thought that maybe Nozomi was with that Hiro-kun.

“Heh… Maybe she’s with a guy”, Maki said teasingly with a smirk, oblivious of what she was thinking. She visibly flinched at what Maki said.

“Hiro…”

“What?” Violet eyes widened in surprise.

“Maybe Nozomi’s with him…” She bit her lip to prevent it from trembling.

Maki stood up and came to her. “Who? I’m sorry I didn’t mean to–” Eli broke down into sobs in her embrace. She rubbed her back in circles to comfort her. When Eli calmed down, she let go of her. The blonde wiped her tear-stained face with her palm.

“Maybe I really need to unwind. Let’s go, Maki. But not to the bar, I already promised I won’t drink anymore, remember? I’ll tell you everything later.” She gave her a small smile and turned to get her bag.

“Then I’ll go on ahead and wait for you outside, I’ll tell Kotori to handle things while you’re gone.” Maki exited her office.

* * *

 They were walking to the shrine whose stairs they used to practice on during their school idol days.

“Why do you wanna go there Eli?”

“I always go there whenever I feel bad or something. I feel at ease there y’know. Maybe because of Nozomi.” She smiled at the thought of the girl she loved. “Back then, she would bring me there if she noticed that I’m having a problem. We would pray and solve the problem together. When she’s away, she’d tell me to go there so I won’t miss her as much. Even after we broke up, I still come here for comfort.”

“You really still love her don’t you?” Her friend chuckled.

“Of course. I was really stupid then to leave her.”

They approached the stairs and memories of their practices years ago there came to them. They looked at each other knowingly.

“Thinking what I’m thinking?” Maki grinned.

“Yeah, the winner gets a free dinner!” With that, they raced to the top of the stairs.

Eli was the one leading. She had the advantage because of her daily morning runs. Maki stopped her daily routine some time ago because of her always being at the hospital and having no time for that.

Eli arrived at the top immediately. She looked at the shrine.

She froze as her blue eyes widen, her heart pounding so hard at the sight.

_A beautiful lady with braided violet hair and vibrant emerald eyes._

_Her lips looked so soft, her smile so warm and gentle._

Eli was mesmerized at seeing the lady she loved and adored so much. She couldn’t help but smile. She was about to move and approach her when someone already did.

_A tall and handsome man._

_His shoulder length hair was of the same color as the lady._

_His bespectacled green eyes were similar with that of the lady, shining and sparkling._

_He wore the same warm and welcoming smile as the lady as he held her hand._

At that point, Eli trembled and she found herself not being able to breathe.

The lady and the man started walking towards the inside of the shrine with their entwined fingers.

_They seemed so happy with each other._

Eli couldn’t take it anymore. Tears fell like waterfalls as she turned around and ran down the stairs. She passed by Maki - who was then walking up rather than running - and the redhead quickly followed her. This time, she caught up to her just in time for the blonde to break down. She wrapped her in her arms and rubbed her back.

When Eli calmed down a bit, she asked in the gentlest voice she had. “What happened Eli?”

“Maybe I really need a drink or two. Let’s go to the bar…”

“But Eli you promised you won’t drink ag-”

“I said let’s go.” The blonde’s voice was dark as she stood up and waited for Maki.

When they arrived at the bar, they only ordered a glass of beer each. But Eli asked for more - glass after glass, as she told Maki about everything. She told her about how she heard Nozomi’s phone call, how she told him “I love you” and told Nico that he was coming home, about how she saw her earlier with a handsome man and how he held her hand and looked at her so lovingly, and how Nozomi reciprocated his actions.

Maki couldn’t do anything to comfort her friend but listen. She could see how her heart was breaking into pieces, how her eyes were becoming swollen from her non-stop crying, and how she spoke with a voice so hurt and sorrowful. She tried to stop her from drinking too much, but to no avail. She couldn’t really blame her, she just had her heart broken after all. So what she had to do was not drink so much and remain the sober one, so she could get her home safe and sound.

After hours of drinking and crying, Maki decided that it was time to get Eli home. She called her driver to pick them up and he said he’ll meet them at the shrine.

“Eli let’s go, my driver will pick us up”, she said as she stood up and came to Eli’s side.

“Nozomiii”, she whined as she threw tantrums like a child.

“Come on Eli." The redhead sighed. She wrapped an arm around the blonde’s waist and put an arm of hers over her shoulder to pick her up. Fortunately, Eli didn’t have much strength to resist.

Maki managed to bring Eli to the foot of the stairs that lead to the shrine. She sat her on the stairs and took her cellphone out from her pocket. He texted her driver to hurry up because it’s getting cold. She then sat beside Eli and waited for the driver.

* * *

Nozomi was humming the tune of _Snow Halation_ while walking with Kohiro towards the shrine. Her arm was linked with his since she was cold, despite the fact that she’s wearing his jacket. She insisted that they visit there once more before they go home.

She was happily walking until she caught sight of two familiar faces. They were at the stairs that led to the shrine. She suddenly stopped to examine them.

One had red hair, and one was blonde

One was awake, the other was close to passing out

One was sober, and the other… _drunk_?

Drunk. Yes, the blonde was drunk. Heavily drunk. The sight and thought of Eli being drunk made Nozomi tremble and lose her balance. Thankfully, Kohiro was there to catch her and he enveloped her in his arms. Nozomi began to break down into sobs. She could always reveal her true feelings to him. Memories came flashing back to her again as she held on tightly to Kohiro’s shirt.

_It was already past 2 am and Eli still hadn’t gone home to their apartment. Nozomi was nervously calling her cellphone over and over again but it was never picked up. She also contacted their friends but they too had no idea where Eli was. After a while, she heard a knock on the door. She hurriedly came to and opened it. What she saw was a lady supporting Eli’s body._

**_Is this the home of Eli Ayase?_ ** _She asked. Nozomi nodded._

 **_I work at a nearby bar and she was drinking so much that she almost passed out. I asked her where she lives but she was too drunk to answer me so I had to check it on her ID in her wallet. When I saw that it’s nearby, I offered to bring her home. I didn’t take anything from her wallet, don’t worry._ ** _She added, as she gave the blonde to Nozomi._

_Nozomi was only able to say ‘thank you’ to the lady before she left. She laid Eli on their couch and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When she came back, the blonde was already sleeping._

_Later that day, she asked her why she was drinking until 2 am and why she didn’t inform her about it. Eli just shrugged and said she’s having a hard time at college. Nozomi didn’t ask more._

_It was not the last time it happened. The next nights were the same._

_After a week of this, Eli approached her and said she had something to talk about._

 

That day, Nozomi had her second heartbreak.

 

**_Nozomi I know I’ve been hurting you these past few days._ **

**_I tried to stop drinking but college is really giving me a hard time so I had to unwind._ **

**_I’m sorry, but I think we should break up before I hurt you even further._ **

**_Goodbye, Nozomi._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry......
> 
> Kohiro looks like Asuma Mutsumi from "Kiss him, not me" if anyone wants to know.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Lovelots~ <3


	7. I knew it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something happens to Nozomi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I had a lot of problems this past week (school, health, laptop).
> 
> I couldn't include my quick sketch of Hiro-kun in this chapter (someone tell me how :< ), but you can check it out here:
> 
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/150438493@N08/36127439745
> 
> Hope the link works :3
> 
> Forgive my drawing skills and camera quality :<
> 
> I just hope the sketch will help you visualize him, he's supposed to be much handsome than my drawing :<
> 
> But anyway, thanks for your kudos and comments! It makes me really happy :>
> 
> May you enjoy reading! Have a nice day ~

They were having a meeting at Eli’s office. They had no photoshoot that day, and they were talking about the layout design of the magazine.

Nozomi excused herself a while ago, saying she hac to go to the bathroom.

“How about baby blue and white?”, Honoka suggested.

“That sounds good nya!” Rin nodded excitedly.

“Hmm… But I was thinking of some kind of blue and purple combination, what do you think?” Eli put a hand on her chin. 

“I think that’s nice” Hanayo agreed.

“It is nice but I think blue and white with a touch of gold or yellow will suit it better. It’ll represent you, Eli”, Umi said.

 “I’ll go with blue and purple… The shop isn’t all about Eli-chan after all”, said Kotori.

“Blue and white is better” Nico frowned. _Blue and purple are Nozomi and Eli’s colors that’s why Eli likes it_ , she thought.

“We should have more variations of colors, so I think blue and purple is better”, Maki reasoned.

“What about you, Nozomi-chan? What do you—” Honoka turned her head where Nozomi was previously seated.  “Oh right, she’s in the toilet”

“Speaking of which, it’s been almost 15 minutes and she’s not back yet!”, Kotori gasped.

“Y-you’re right, I’ll go look for her.” Eli stood up.

“No, you stay here. I’ll get her. She won’t be coming with you anyway.” Nico smirked despite being worried and stood up.

Nico arrived at the bathroom. She opened the door and called.

“Nozomi? Nozomi!” Ruby eyes widened in shock as she saw Nozomi lying on the floor, unconscious, with blood on her head.

She quickly came by her side and held her. She put her head on Nozomi’s chest to check her heartbeat.

She heard nothing.

.

.

.

.

.

Was what she thought, until she heard a faint beat of her heart. 

“Oh good, you’re still alive!”

She put her back down and came out of the bathroom to call for help.

When she saw that there was no one outside, she came back to Nozomi.

“Fuck this shit, I’m going to take you out myself!” She braced herself and lifted the bigger woman.

She managed to take Nozomi near the entrance of the building. Good thing that the bathroom was in the first floor.

The guard saw them and immediately took Nozomi’s body.

“What happened Ma’am?”, he asked.

“She collapsed in the bathroom. Stay there, I’m gonna call a cab.” Nico rushed outside and luckily, there was a cab in standby. She called out to the driver and the cab was in front of the building in no time.

The guard put Nozomi inside and Nico followed.

“Don’t tell Ayase what happened, just say we need to go” She gave the guard a piercing look before she closed the door.

The guard hesitantly nodded and headed inside.

“Nishikino General Hospital, faster!”, Nico told the driver.

She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed Kohiro’s number. He immediately picked up.

“Kohiro! Nozomi fainted and we’re on our way to Nishikino Hospital!”

“Okay, I’ll meet you there! Don’t worry, I’m the only one with her right now.”

They arrived at the hospital and the driver helped her to take Nozomi inside.

“Help!”, she called.

A pair of nurse rushed to them and got a stretcher. They took Nozomi to the emergency room.

“Nico-san?” She heard a man and she lifted her head to see a familiar face.

“What happened?”, the man asked. It was Maki’s father.

“N-Nishikino-san! I found her unconscious in the bathroom and t-there’s blood so I took her here", Nico answered, still panting and out of breath.

“I see. Wasn’t Maki with you though? She could’ve given first aid to Toujou-san.”

“Sh-she was, but my mind went blank and all I could think of was to get her at a hospital. M-Maki was in Eli’s office when this happened”, she explained.

“Oh, then I’ll go ahead and personally take a look at her. It didn’t seem like it’s a serious problem though, so don’t worry.” He gave her a reassuring smile and turned to go to Nozomi.

She was on her way to the waiting room when she heard another man called out to her.

“Nico-san!” She recognized the voice.

She turned to look at him. It was Kohiro.

“Kohi—” She was interrupted by a swarm of questions.

“Where is she? What happened? Is she alright now?” He was breathing heavily, hands on his knees. He must’ve ran hard.

“Woah calm down man, she’s gonna be fine. A doctor’s attending to her now, and he said it didn’t seem like a serious problem” She patted his shoulder.

“Oh, that’s good” He sighed in relief.

They went to the waiting room.

“Nico-san, I have something to say.” Kohiro frowned.

“What is it?”

“I think you should stop your work”, he said softly, but surely.

Nico raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“N-Not the studio! I don’t mean closing it but I think you should drop your work for your current client. It’s _Ayase_ , isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I’ve been considering that too. But I don’t think Nozomi will approve of that. She gives importance to her work and business, no matter who the client is.” She looked down and bit her lower lip.

“I thought so too… what should we do then? She overworks herself all the time and I can bet that’s why she fainted earlier.” His brows furrowed.

“M-Maybe if you’ll be the one to ask, she will listen. She loves you so much after a—”

She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Maki’s father came out and approached them.

They both turned to him.

“Toujou-san’s fine now. I had to stitch her head but other than that, she’s in good condition.” He gave them a smile.

“What happened to her, Doc?”, Kohiro asked.

“I suspect she fainted because of exhaustion. You should refrain her from working for a few days and have her rest. You can go visit her now, she’s in room 1021. Are you her relative?”, he asked.

“I’m her....”

* * *

Maki and the rest of Muse arrived at Nisihikino Hospital.

“I can’t believe Nico-chan didn’t tell us what happened!”, Honoka complained.

“Yeah, good thing Papa told me about it”, Maki agreed.

“And it is a good thing that Nico took her here.” Umi added.

“It’s the nearest to Eli’s office after all. Papa said they’re in room 1021, let’s go.” They came to the elevator. 

Eli was sweating and trembling. Hanayo tapped her shoulder.

“Maki-chan’s father said she’s fine now, Eli-chan. Don’t worry.” She gave her a smile.

“Y-Yeah, she’s f-fine” It didn’t do anything to take away her worries though.

Rin knocked at the door.

“Come in”, said a voice that they didn’t recognize.

Rin looked at the number on the door to see if they got the wrong room but it said 1021. She hesitantly opened the door.

They saw Nozomi sleeping, with a gauze on her forehead. Beside her bed was a man, sitting on a chair. The man looked at them and stood up.

“You’re the rest of Muse right? Please take a seat, Nico-san should be back here any minute now.” He gave them a smile.

They couldn’t help but blush on how handsome the man was, except Eli, of course. She recognized the man after all.

Silence enveloped the room until Honoka spoke.

“U-Umm, w-who might you be?”, she asked sheepishly.

“Oh, right. I’m Kohiro Tokura.” He offered a hand to Honoka.

Honoka took it without saying anything.

Kohiro shook their hands and smiled.

“I’m Nozomi’s boyfriend.”

“What”, all of them - except for Eli again - said.

 _I knew it_ , the blonde thought. She bit her lip and said,

“I g-gotta go”

“Oh, why the hurry _Ayase-san_?” Kohiro smiled at her. 

Eli recognized that smile. It’s that smile that Nozomi usually gave them when she had something naughty in mind - that knowing smile. _Oh how she missed that look of Nozomi, how she playfully smiled at them like that._ Usually, her heart soften whenever she saw that smile.

But Kohiro’s was different. It didn’t make her heart flutter. It just sent shivers down her spine. It made her somewhat… afraid. It was like telling her to _fuck off and don’t get near Nozomi again._ His eyes were full of sarcasm.

 “I j-just remembered I have something to do in my office”, she managed to answer.

“Oh, then see you next time”, he said, but his look told her otherwise.

“Y-Yeah. See you tomorrow girls.” With that, she left.

That made Maki, Umi, and Kotori worry, but they just settled on the couch. Maki just thought she'd give Eli a call later. The other three sat on the floor. 

“I didn’t know Nozomi-chan has a boyfriend nya”, Rin innocently said.

“I’m sorry about that. Nico-san’s the only one we told”, Kohiro said sheepishly, though Umi felt there’s something more in his voice. She couldn’t figure it out so she shrugged the thought off. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you two been together?” Umi asked.

“I don’t mind, we’ve been together for at least eight months now, but we met about four years ago. I already knew her from your school idol days though.” He chuckled. “We’re living together now too.”

“But how come I never see you at her apartment?”, Rin wondered.

“Oh that’s because I work overseas. I only came home last week.”

“Ohhh that’s so cool! In what country?” Honoka’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Philippines. I’m an architect there. But I make sure to call her every other day, if not everyday. I don’t want her to feel lonely after all.” His voice was so full of love.

“You love her so much don’t nya!?”, Rin exclaimed.

“Of course.” He stroked Nozomi’s forehead to keep her bangs away.

The door suddenly slammed open and revealed a tired-looking panting Nico.

“Nico-chan what happened to you!?” Kotori gasped and stood up, making room for Nico on the couch.

“The elevator had problems! I had to take the stairs to go up! To the 6th fucking floor!”, Nico complained as she sat down the couch dramatically, not paying attention to the fact that the rest of their friends were already there - except for Eli, of course.

“Oh that’s what took you so long to come back here”, Kohiro said.

“N-Nicochi?” They all turned to Nozomi.

“Nozomi! Thank God you’re awake! How are you feeling?”, Kohiro asked softly.

“Hiro-kun? Head… hurts a little”, the-purple haired answered weakly.

“I’ll go ask for a nurse”, Umi said and stood up.

“Thanks Sonoda-san.” Kohiro nodded at her and she walked out of the room.

“The girls are here too?”, Nozomi asked.

“Yes, we rushed here when Papa told me you’re here”, Maki said.

“What happened?” Nozomi was full of questions, it seemed.

“You collapsed in the bathroom because of exhaustion”, said Nico.

“I see… I’m sorry.” Nozomi looked down. Kohiro wrapped his arms around her.

“Don’t be.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Y-Yeah, it’s not your fault Nozomi-chan!” Hanayo said.

“Thank you”

* * *

 Eli was crying. She was crying her heart out.

She was running. She ran and ran with no destination in mind. 

She had no idea where she was now. She didn’t even care. All she thought about was how Kohiro said he’s Nozomi’s boyfriend and how he indirectly told her to stop bothering Nozomi.

 _I knew it. I was right after all. She doesn’t love me anymore. What should I do?,_  were her last thoughts before she saw a light from the corner of her eye and she braced herself on what’s to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we know who Hiro-kun is!
> 
> And oh what'll happen to Eli? Who knows lolololol
> 
> Anyways thank you for reading! Lovelots~ <3


	8. Reminiscing

Eli woke up with her head throbbing. She sat up and took a look around the room.

Bright colors.

Foreign posters.

A picture frame with two unfamiliar women.

It was then that she realized, this _certainly_ wasn’t her room. Not even Alisa’s nor her parents’. _Where am I?, sh_ e thought. She thought of all the happenings that may have led her to where she was.

_I came to the hospital with Maki and the others to see Nozomi._

_I saw Hiro there._

_He said he’s Nozomi’s boyfriend._

_I ran away._

_I saw a light coming towards me._

She couldn’t remember anything after that.

_What happened to me?_

“Oh good! You’re awake now! I was starting to get worried when you still didn’t wake up after almost a day”, a voice suddenly spoke. Eli looked at the doorway to find the source of the voice. There she saw a blonde woman, years younger than her.

She looked at her, obviously confused about what’s happening and her identity. The woman seemed to caught on and answered her unspoken questions.

“Oh right, my name’s Mari Ohara!” The woman - _Mari -_  smilled at her. “I almost ran over you with my car last night. My car didn’t really hit you but you still passed out and I took you here in my house and called my doctor. He said you’re gonna be fine so don’t worry about it!”, she explained.

“Oh, I’m sorry”, said Eli.

“Don’t be~ it was my fault for not taking a good look on the road”, Mari replied sheepishly.

Eli opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when Mari talked again.

“But if you’re really sorry, maybe you can pay me with your body~~”, the younger woman smirked as she moved closer to Eli.

Eli’s face heated up when she felt a hand cup her cheek.

“It’s joke~” Mari smiled mischievously before drawing her hand back and giving her an ‘ok’ sign.

“What” was the only thing Eli could say.

“It’s a joke, a joke! You shouldn’t be so serious or you’ll grow old immediately~”

“Y-Yeah”

“Anyway, do you mind if I ask why you were running so hard last night?”, Mari asked.

“Just... needed to go somewhere and think. I wanted to be alone for a while.” She sighed.

“Oh I see, I see. My apologies for almost running over you.” Mari rubbed the back of her neck.

“Wish you ran over me though”, Eli said with a weak voice.

“Hey why would you say that Ayasechi?” Mari furrowed her brows.

“You know me?” Eli raised her brows in surprise. She also noticed how similar the young woman was with _someone_.

Mari chuckled. “What kind of former school idol am I if I don’t know the beautiful and _shiny_ Eli Ayase of Muse?”

Eli faintly blushed at the compliments (is _shiny_ a compliment though?). “You used to be a school idol too?”

“Yep! I’m from Aqours!” She grinned.

“Aqours? Hmm I do remember Hanayo mention the name years ago…”

“Ayasechi, sorry but I need to go back home to Uchiura now. I’ll give you a ride though, where do you live?”

“I don’t really feel like going home now… you mind if I tag along in Uchiura? I haven’t been there but I heard the place is great” Eli gave the other blonde an almost pleading look.

“Shiny! Let’s go~”

* * *

They arrived at Mari’s house in Uchiura.

“Harasho… You live by the sea?” Sky blue orbs wandered around the area in amazement.

“Yes! I only moved here recently though, this is my girlfriend’s house actually.”

Mari came in and took off her shoes.

“Kanan? I’m home! I brought someone with me~” She called.

A young woman- _Kanan_ , Eli assumed - came out of the living room to greet Mari. A look of surprise came to her when she saw Eli behind her girlfriend.

“Eli Ayase-san?", she asked.

Eli bowed her head. “Yes, I’m Eli Ayase, it’s nice to meet you. I’m sorry for intruding", she said somewhat sheepishly.

“Likewise! Please let yourself feel at home” The blue haired gave her a sweet smile.

“T-thanks”, Eli muttered.

* * *

At dinner, Eli couldn’t help feeling sad, or maybe even jealous, at watching her two companions. She saw the love in their eyes when they looked at each other, and in their voice when they talked. She could feel the love even in the little things they did around each other; even when Mari joked around and Kanan would pat her hand. She missed those. She missed the green eyes that would look at her so lovingly. She missed the purple hair that she used to caress. She missed the soft lips that she used to kiss. She missed everything about Nozomi. Feeling exhausted, she went to sleep before them.

Morning came and Eli was the first to wake. It was just 6 am. She quietly went out the house and walked to the shore.

She breathed, taking in the morning breeze. Looking at the sea calmed her. She remembered seeing the same sunrise years ago. Back then, however, she wasn’t alone. She was with her Muse family.

She used that time to reminisce her precious memories with them, with _her_.

She remembered how she was before she met all of them – cold, alone, a standoff.

She remembered the first time she met _her_ , or rather, knew _her_. _She_ suddenly called out to her at the staircase. She asked who _she_ was. _She_ seemed to be nervous at first but eventually gave her that warm smile and introduced _herself_. She was taken aback at the beauty standing in front of her. Back then, she thought _she_ was just another one of those who wanted to be with her because of her foreign features. But _she_ wasn’t. _She_ gave colors to her dull and boring life. Being with _her_ made her smile every time.

She remembered the time when she didn’t approve Honoka and the others’ club request. It was a pain in the head. They were just too stubborn. The addition of _her_ somewhat helping them just made it more hard to deal with. She wanted to save the school too but she just couldn’t bear seeing them sing and dance like that.

She remembered the day she joined Muse. It was full of tears. She wasn’t being honest with herself. She didn’t think she could just say she wanted join after all she did; until _she_ asked her. “What do you really want to do?” _She_ told her that she didn’t need any reason to do it, she just have to do it because she wanted to. It was also the day they found out who gave their name. It was _her_. It was always _her_. It was _her_ that she was thankful for, for giving her the chance to do what she really wanted. It was _her_ that let her experience all sorts of things through Muse. It was _her_ that gave her new people to love and cherish.

She remembered their days as school idols. It was fun. It was a long ride. It gave her a lot of lessons. She saw a lot of new things she didn’t know existed. She felt a lot of emotions she didn’t know she had.  She knew herself more. She knew her friends more. She knew _her_ more. She learned to love herself and her friends more.

She remembered the time she realized she was in love with  _her._ She was feeling uneasy around  _her -_ something she never felt before. Her heart was pounding whenever  _she_ came near. She saw how beautiful  _she_ was - something she never noticed before. Whenever  _she_ smiled, it made her feel like she needed to protect that smile. It made her smile too. It made her heart flutter. She felt butterflies in her stomach. It was a nerve-racking, yet amazing feeling.

She remembered the time when _they_ became each other’s. It was her favorite moment of her life. She felt like _they_ were the happiest people on Earth. It felt like time stopped and _they_ were alone. _They_ couldn’t care less on what’s happening around them. It was just the two of _them_.

She remembered the times when she had broken up with _her_. How many times had it been? Two? Three? Four? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was it was not just once. Tears started to fall on her cheeks. _Why was she so dumb back then?_ She knew she was the happiest when she’s with _her_. She knew _she_ made her complete. She knew she needed _her_. She knew she loved _her_. _They_ loved each other. _They_ were happy with each other. So **why?**

Oh, that’s right. She was just scared, **afraid**. She was a coward. She had her insecurities. She adored her so much that she felt she wasn’t what _she_ deserved. She felt that _she_ deserved someone better; not her. _She_ deserved nothing like the awkward, insecure, stupid, unsociable, unapproachable girl she was. But little did she knew that it was all that _she_ needed. Yes, maybe _she_ really deserved better, but what _she_ needed **was** her.

She remembered the times after _they_ broke up permanently. She spent all her time working with her business. She worked day and night. She gave no time for herself, for her family, for her friends, for anyone. She told herself that’s what she needed to do, that’s the reason she broke up with _her_ after all. But in reality, she just needed a distraction. She needed to distract herself from the unbearable pain that she felt. She felt horrible - mentally, emotionally. She even tried to hurt herself physically in order to ease the pain. She tried to end herself. But she was stopped by _her_ image in her head. _Her_ smiling face, so gentle, so warm, so calming, soothing, comforting. It was like telling her that everything would be alright, everything would turn out fine. She held on to that thought. She believed _she_ still needed her, loved her even. Believing made her strong. She decided to muster up the courage to face _her_ again. But she should fix herself first. She should learn to overcome her fears and insecurities. She didn’t think it would take her years though. Nevertheless, she decided to face _her_ again because she finally thought she was a better person; someone _she_ deserved.

She remembered the day when she saw _her_ with another man. It broke her heart.

She remembered his voice saying who he was.

It was too late after all. **She** was too late. She realized she was still dumb, thinking she could make up with  _her_. _She_ had already moved on. _She_ had found the one that _she_ deserved. _She_ was finally happy without her. All those thoughts and beliefs shattered in her heart. She lived, holding on to those beliefs, but now that she knew she was having false hope, how can she still live? _She_ was her oxygen. _She_ was her source of life. All she needed was _her_. But now, where was _she_? There, in the arms of the man that _she_ deserved and loved. There, looking at everyone but her. There, loving everyone but her. 

Eli looked around the shore. She found a piece of broken glass. She rushed to it, picked it up, and placed it on her wrist. _Maybe this would be better. She’d been happy without me after all, s_ he thought. She closed her eyes, ready to slash her skin, and muttered her last thoughts.

“I love you, Nozomi."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> What can you say about this chapter? :>
> 
> And oh, we're nearing 1k hits yey! *^*
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments my dear Readers! Lovelots! <3


	9. Premonition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nozomi knows something's wrong but isn't sure what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I had some writer's block and so many things are going on so...
> 
> When I was writing this last night I somehow ended up watching Muse's first live lol I don't really have any motivation to do anything right now.
> 
> Enjoy ~

Nozomi woke up in the arms of Kohiro. She smiled at the sight of his messy hair and slightly parted lips. She slowly and silently stood up as she didn’t want to wake him up. It was just 6 am after all. It had been two days after she fainted and Kohiro made sure she didn’t have to do a thing by herself. As a result, he was tired and needed a rest; though he didn’t want to admit it. That is why Nozomi decided to let him sleep more and make breakfast for them.

She gave his forehead a quick kiss and left for the kitchen.

She cooked some pancakes and paired it with maple syrup. She filled her hamster shaped kettle with water and heated it for their morning tea. She smiled, remembering the time she got that kettle.

Her piggy kettle broke and she cried. Kohiro saw her and immediately went out to buy a new one. He said he couldn’t find a pig shaped one so he got a hamster instead. He also insisted that the hamster was way cuter than the piggy.

While waiting for the water to boil, she took a glass. While pouring water, her head suddenly ached terribly, and she felt her stomach twist in anxiety; causing the glass to slip off her hand. The glass broke loudly and she fell into her knees. She was trembling. She felt like something was wrong but she didn’t know what it was. She covered her face with her hands and started to cry.

She heard footsteps coming towards her. She hesitantly looked up and saw Kohiro rushing to her. He knelt down in front of Nozomi and took her in his arms, not minding the broken pieces of glass hitting his knees. Nozomi pressed her head on his chest and clutched his shirt. Kohiro rubbed her back to calm her and after a while, she did. He kissed the top of her head and stood her up.

“It’s okay… I’m here.” He gave her a warm smile and suddenly winced. Now that he stood up, he felt the pain in his bleeding knees.

“H-Hiro-kun your knees!”, Nozomi exclaimed worriedly.

“T-This is nothing… Let’s go.” He forced a smile.

“I’ll treat your knees… Wait for me in the living room, I’ll get the first aid kit…”

Kohiro opened his mouth to protest but closed it again when Nozomi swiftly left the kitchen. He then proceeded to the living room.

When Nozomi was done treating his knees, they sat at the couch together with her head leaning on his shoulder.

“Nozomi?”, he called softly.

“Mhm..?”

“Can you tell me what happened earlier..? I woke up alone and I heard something crash and then you were crying in the kitchen…”

“I’m sorry… I went down to cook us breakfast then my head suddenly hurt so my glass slipped…”, she said quietly.

“See, you’re still recovering so you shouldn’t do anything by yourself…” His hand found its way on her head and he caressed her hair.

“No, this is different Hiro-kun. I feel like something bad is going to happen… or maybe it’s already happening… I’m scared Hiro-kun… What if something terrible happened to my friends, what if something happens to you… I don’t know what to do Hiro-kun… I’m scared…” Nozomi trembled again and tears were forming in her eyes.

Kohiro held her tighter. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m here… I’m here.”

Nozomi wrapped his waist with her arms. “Don’t leave Hiro-kun…”

“I won’t. Now let’s get you some more sleep, okay? You still need to rest… We’ll eat the pancakes later.”

“Okay…” She stood up and waited for him to do the same before letting him lead their way to Nozomi’s bedroom.

When Kohiro was sure that she’s asleep, he gently removed her arm from his waist and stood up. He took his phone and searched for a certain raven-haired friend’s number. Before he could tap the call button though, his phone rang. It was Nico.

“Hello, Nico-san? I was just about to call you too. Is something wrong?”

**Kohiro! Is everything alright there? How’s Nozomi? Is she still asleep?**

“She’s fine now… But earlier I saw her crying at the kitchen with a broken glass on the floor. She said she suddenly felt something bad’s going to happen and her head suddenly hurt so the glass slipped from her hand. I made her go back to sleep for now. She’s scared Nico-san, I am too. I’m worried ‘cause her feelings always comes true… That’s why I wanted to call you, to tell you to take care of yourself and your siblings.” He kept his voice low so as not to wake Nozomi up.

**I’m no spiritual something but I just felt the exact same way. I don’t know, this may be something major about one of our friends… Just make sure she’s not alone, okay? I’ll come over later. I’ll meet up with the rest of Muse first to make sure they’re fine. Anyway, she doesn’t have any cuts from the glass, does she?**

“Yes, thankfully she didn’t have any… I’ll see you later then, Nico-san.”

**Okay, good. See ya**

* * *

Nico was the first to arrive at the shrine. They decided to meet up there so they can pray. She was anxiously tapping her foot to the ground when she saw a familiar redhead coming her way.

The two were in silence until Maki spoke.

“H-Hey.”

Nico just turned to her and said nothing.

“Are you… alright?” Maki started twirling her hair.

“Yeah.”

“That’s… good. I guess.” Neither of them looked at each other’s eyes.

“Yeah.”

The two were back in heavy silence. Maki was feeling nervous, being alone with Nico. Sweat was starting to form on her forehead. She visibly lit up when Hanayo and Rin arrived.

“Hello Maki-chan, Nico-chan”, Hanayo greeted.

“Morning nya!” Rin threw herself to Maki and Nico, wrapping them in a tight hug.

“Calm down kid” Nico frowned.

The orange-haired released them and said, “I’m just glad you seem fine nya!”

“Me too, I became worried since you put off all work since that day at the hospital, Maki-chan” Hanayo said softly.

“About that…” Maki didn’t seem to find the right words to say.

“Oh there’s the others nya!”, Rin exclaimed, and waved to the three. “Umi-chan! Honoka-chan! Kotori-chan! Over here nya!” They saw her and approached them.

“Rin-chan, don’t shout. We’re at the shrine…” Hanayo whispered.

“Oh, sorry Kayo-chin..." Rin rubbed the back of her neck.

“I’m sorry we’re late. Someone overslept again” Umi bowed then glared at Honoka. Honoka flinched and hid herself behind Kotori.

“Now now, calm down dear, we’re here now.” Kotori rubbed her girlfriend’s arm.

Umi rolled her eyes. “You spoil her too much.”

Kotori just smiled at her.

“Nozomi and Eli are still not here? It’s unusual for them to be late”, Umi wondered.

“Nozomi’s not coming. She still needs to rest.” Nico explained.

“How about Eli-chan?”, Honoka asked.

“She’s not coming too. I’ll tell you later”, Maki said.

“Let’s go then, shall we?” Kotori smiled at them, though she couldn’t help feeling worried about Eli.

They prayed at the shrine and went to a cafe.

They ordered and sat around the biggest table.

“So, first thing’s first. Everyone here’s fine right?” Nico started.

They all nodded in agreement.

“Good. Kohiro said Nozomi just had the feeling that something’s up and that’s bad. We all know Nozomi’s spot-on intuition. Also, I felt the same thing too, which is unusual so I think something’s _really_ up”, she continued.

“I think it’s got something to do with Eli”, said Maki.

“What do you mean?”, Umi asked.

“She’s… been missing since the time she ran away from the hospital…” Maki looked down.

Six pairs of eyes widen in shock as they processed what Maki just said.

“She didn’t go back to her office and Alisa told me she hasn’t gone home either. We can’t reach her phone too. We tried to look everywhere but we didn’t find her. That’s why I postponed all our work for the time being. I’m sorry I only told you now, the Ayases didn’t want to bother any of you…”, The redhead added.

“What about Otonokizaka High School? Did you check there? I remember her saying she sometimes go there when she needs to be alone.” Umi asked.

“She’s not there. Mom would’ve told me if she is…”, Kotori said.

“The park? The shrine? The old café?”, Honoka asked.

“Not there either...”, Maki answered.

They said all the places they think Eli would’ve gone too but Maki already searched there and she found no Eli.

“What about Nozomi-chan? You think she has other ideas?”, Rin suggested.

“Hell no. Listen girls, no one’s telling Nozomi that Eli’s missing. It wouldn’t help her condition right now. We’re lucky Kohiro’s here right now for her but if she finds out about this it will only add to her worries. I hate to say this but she may not care about Eli being her ex but she’s still a friend. Am I understood?” Nico frowned.

“That makes sense. We understand, Nico.” Umi nodded.

“Thanks.”

“But how do we find Eli-chan now?”, asked Hanayo.

“We had the police help us. If anyone of us see her, we must inform the Ayases, alright?”, Maki said.

“Yes. I just hope she’s fine…” Kotori leaned on Umi’s shoulder.

“Let’s just hope for the best… She’d been shaken by the fact that Nozomi-chan has a boyfriend now…”,  Hanayo said.

Nico raised a brow. “Kohiro?”

“Yes, they met at Nozomi’s hospital room just before Eli left.” Umi felt the same thing she did at the hospital when they were talking to Kohiro. It made her uneasy. _Just what is this feeling?_ But then she thought maybe it’s just that she’s worried about Eli so she shrugged it off again.

“O-Oh…” Somehow, Nico became uneasy too and no one but her knew why. She wouldn’t do anything about it though, at least not now.

For some reasons, Maki felt the uneasiness in Nico. It made her confused. _What the hell’s up?,_  she thought, as she drank the last bit of coffee in her mug.

“I need to get going now. Just call if anything happens or something”, said Maki, as she stood up and arranged her purse.

“Ah, we’ll go now too, Honoka-chan’s got a mall show today”, Hanayo said.

“I have!?” Honoka stood in shock.

“You don’t even know your own schedule!? Geez, Honoka what would happen to you if you do not have Hanayo by your side?”, Umi scolded.

“Kotori-chaaan! Umi-chan’s scaryyy!” Honoka looked at Kotori with pleading puppy eyes.

“Umi-chan calm down”, Kotori placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a worried smile.

“You are all so easy on Honoka, you shou—” Kotori stopped her ranting with a peck on her cheek. Umi’s face became as red as Maki’s hair.

“There~” The ash blonde smiled.

“Then let’s all go now nya!”

With that, they exited the café.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm sorry for the lack of happenings in this chapter ;-;
> 
> I'm working on overcoming this block of mine and hopefully I can post the next chapter in two to three days. Also I hope to make it to 2k words or more :3
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	10. Eli...chi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari calls them to tell where Eli is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kudos and comments!
> 
> I also would like to thank you for being so understanding about my update schedule <3
> 
> My midterm exams just finished so I should be able to update regularly now :3
> 
> Enjoy!

**Maki Nishikino** : Girls this is urgent. Someone just called Eli’s office and I know where she is now.

 **Rin Hoshizora** : That’s good nya!

 **Umi Sonoda** : Where is she?

 **Maki Nishikino** : She’s apparently at Uchiura. And she’s in a hospital.

 **Rin Hoshizora** : What happened nya!?

 **Nico Yazawa** : That’s far ain’t it. How’d she get there

 **Maki Nishikino** : I don’t know too. I’m on my way there. If anyone is coming, I’ll pick you up at the shrine. Be quick.

 **Umi Sonoda** : Got it. Kotori, Honoka and I will be there shortly.

 **Rin Hoshizora** : I’ll get Kayo-chin too!

 **Maki Nishikino** : Okay, wait for me. How about you,

 **Maki Nishikino** : Nico?

 **Nico Yazawa** : I’m coming.

 **Maki Nishikino** : Okay, take care.

 **Nico Yazawa** : K.

* * *

Upon arriving at the hospital that the girl who called said, they were met by three women.

“I-It’s Muse…”, a black haired woman named Dia said in amazement. She recognized them all. _Maki-san, Umi-san, Kotori-san, Hanayo-san, Rin-san, Nico-san, Honoka-san,_ she thought. _Hmm? Nozomi-san isn’t here… Oh, well._

“Are you the ones that brought Eli here?”, asked Maki.

“Yes! I’m Mari!”, the blonde said.

“I’m Kanan Matsuura”

“M-My name is D-Dia Kurosawa”, Dia stuttered.

“Thank you very much for looking after our friend.” Umi bowed.

“It’s nothing. It is a pleasure to meet all of Muse.” Kanan smiled at them.

“You know us nya?”, Rin asked.

“Y-You’re from Aqours right? Former school idols?” Hanayo recognized them.

“Y-Yes, we are f-fans of yours a-actually” Dia answered.

“The hell with introductions. Just get us to where Eli is”, Nico said, frowning.

“U-Uh yes, let’s go. She’s in room 609”, Kanan said, and they led them to Eli’s room. Once they’re there, the three left, giving them privacy.

Maki examined Eli with her eyes. She was pale, she observed. There were also bandages all over her left arm. The others noticed it too. _What happened?,_ they thought in unison.

“I wonder what happened…”, Kotori said worryingly, breaking the silence.

“We’ll ask Mari-san later…” Umi wrapped an arm around Kotori’s shoulders and lightly squeezed her arm. Kotori leaned on her shoulder in return.

They sat down the couch except for Maki, Umi, and Nico. Umi stood beside Kotori while Nico and Maki chose to lean their backs on the opposite walls.

“Her arm seems like the only one with injuries…”, said Maki.

“What do you think Maki-chan?”, asked Hanayo.

“She lost a lot of blood… from her arm”, the redhead answered.

“I hope she’ll be fine soon nya…”, Rin said.

“Let’s hope for the best”, said Umi.

“I’ll talk to the hospital and have her transferred in ours.” Maki walked to the bed and touched Eli’s forehead. “She doesn’t have fever. It should be fine to move her.”

“That’s good", the raven-haired said.

“Yeah, we can’t visit her here everyday after all right?”, Honoka said.

Just then, a knock came from the door and a doctor entered.

“Oh, are you the relatives of Ayase-san?”, he asked.

“We’re her friends. I’m Dr. Maki Nishikino from Nishikino General Hospital.” Maki showed him her ID card.

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard of your hospital. I’m Dr. Shinichi Hirano, the attending physician of Ayase-san”

“How is she?”

“She lost a lot of blood, as you may have observed, because of all the cuts on her left arm. Some of them are deep. Other than that, I think she’ll be fine.”

“Cuts?”, Umi asked.

“Yes, I think it’s around ten cuts. It’s fortunate that she was brought here before she lost enough blood for her to die. If she was here a second late, she may have passed away already.”

“That’s a lot!” Kotori gasped.

“From the looks of the wounds, I think it was self-harm…”

“I see. We’ll transfer her in our hospital, I assume it’s alright for her body?”, Maki asked.

“Oh, yes Dr. Nishikino.”

“Thank you.”

“Then I’ll be taking my leave now.” The doctor bowed and turned to exit the room.

“Thank you very much”, the girls said in unison and returned the bow.

“Is Eli-chan really that depressed because of Kohiro-san to cut herself…?”, Hanayo spoke up.

Nico flinched and Maki saw that, though she chose not to comment on it.

“Actually, this isn’t the first time she hurt herself. I heard from Alisa that she tried to harm herself after she and Nozomi broke up. She had it hard to the point that she needed to take medicine for depression”, Maki answered. “I think she’s still taking it every now and then.”

“Oh, so that’s what it is. I sometimes see her taking some sort of medicine when we have hard times on our shops… I thought it was just some pain reliever for her back or something because of working too hard”, Kotori said.

The girls were surprised at the new information. They didn’t know that the calm and composed Eli Ayase had been trying to kill herself. They felt bad that they weren’t able to be by her side at those times. They were right. That bad feeling yesterday really was something bad with Eli.

“Anyway, Let’s go meet Mari-san and her friends at the cafeteria so we can find out what really happened”, Umi said.

And so they left the room and headed for the cafeteria. Once there, they found Mari, Kanan, and Dia and approached them.

“Oh, sit down Muse-san!” Mari said. They sat down across the round table.

“Would you please tell us what happened to Eli? How she got here and such?”, Umi asked.

“Of course! So it was like this… Back in Tokyo a few days back, I almost ran over her with my car. She was running that night and I didn’t notice her immediately. She passed out and I took her in my house there. Don’t worry, I had my doctor check her and he said she’s fine.”, Mari answered.

“It must be that day when Nozomi-chan got confined…” Honoka whispered.

“When she woke up the next day, she said she needed to be alone and think… so when I said I’m going back here she tagged along. She spent the night with us in Kanan and my house. We were woken up by Dia yesterday because she found Eli-san lying on the shore with so much blood and unconscious. And we immediately took her here", the blonde continued.

“I was on my way to their house when I saw her on the shore. I rushed to her for I thought she was Mari because of her blonde hair. Though when I saw her up close, I was surprised to see the woman I looked up to… but I was more surprised to see blood from her arm and pieces of broken glass beside her and in her hand. She tried to kill herself…” Dia explained.

“I see… thank you very much for your help, Mari-san, Kanan-san, Dia-san”, Umi said.

“If there’s anything we can do to repay you for your kindness to our friend, please don’t hesitate to tell us.” Kotori gave them a smile.

“T-This might be selfish of me, but c-can I ask for your autograph? I’m really a huge fan then, and I still enjoy your songs until now…” Dia said sheepishly.

“E-Eh? Autograph?” Maki started twirling her hair.

“Of course! Thanks for supporting Muse!” Honoka stood up in excitement.

* * *

The girls spent the night in Mari and Kanan’s home. They planned to stay at a hotel but Mari insisted they go there instead. Eli was transferred to Nishikino General Hospital the next day and so, they bid goodbye to the three girls; but not before getting their contact numbers, of course.

Days passed and everyone took turns in visiting Eli in the hospital. One day, when it was Nico, Hanayo, and Rin’s turn, Nico was the first to arrive at her room. She sat at the chair beside the bed. When she heard the door opening, she turned to the door and was surprised to see Maki enter. She immediately looked away.

“What are you doing here?”, she asked.

“To visit Eli of course. And this is my hospital, why wouldn’t I be here?”, Maki answered.

Nico chose not to answer.

Maki sat at the chair on the opposite side of the bed. She checked Eli’s temperature and heartbeat - all normal.

There was silence until Maki called her.

“N-Nico-chan…”

“What?” She looked at her with annoyed eyes.

“C-Can we… talk? Y’know, catch up on each other’s life?” The redhead twirled her hair and chose not to look at her in the eye.

“There’s nothing to talk about Maki. Why’d you want to catch up anyway? So you can go and play with me again? Stop acting all friendly, I’m done with your games.” Nico stood up and walked to exit the room.

But that didn’t let Maki stop from talking. “Look Nico-chan, I’m sorry okay? I know I’ve hurt you and I just want to make it up to you.”

Just as Nico was about to open the door, it opened. It was Rin and Hanayo.

“Nico-chan! Where are you going nya?”, Rin asked.

“Bathroom”, Nico said without batting an eye to them and left the room.

“Huh? But doesn’t Eli-chan’s room has one?”, Hanayo wondered.

“You’re right nya! Maybe she forgot?”

“Oh, Maki-chan’s here too!” Hanayo noticed the redhead’s presence. The two entered the room and sat on the couch.

“H-Hey", Maki greeted.

“How is Eli-chan?” Hanayo questioned.

“Her vital signs are normal. She just have to wake up…”

“It’s been almost a week and she still hasn’t woken up…” Hanayo looked down.

“Do you know why, Maki-chan?”, asked Rin.

“The supply of blood in her brain was short and slow causing her to fall into coma”, explained Maki.

“I see. I hope she wakes up soon…” said Hanayo.

* * *

Nozomi was becoming worried. She was confused as to why their work was postponed for a week now. The girls seemed to be avoiding her too. Even Nico was distracted. She didn’t even let her work at the studio, saying she needed more rest. She didn’t know what she did wrong for them to act that way. Fortunately, Kohiro was home and she didn’t need to be alone, or else she might’ve broken down and hurt herself. She was having bad dreams too.

_She runs and runs, chasing after a figure of someone. She doesn’t know who, but she knows that someone is precious to her. She chases, but she never reaches the figure. The figure vanishes far away and she sinks. She sinks deeper and deeper. Until everything is pitch black._

It was the same dream every night since that day she had that premonition.

It really was fortunate to have Kohiro by her side.

Nozomi woke up from that dream yet again and she didn’t find Kohiro at her side. She hurriedly stood up and left her room to search for him.

“Hiro-kun?” She walked down the stairs.

“Make sure not to tell this to Nozomi okay?”, she heard. It was Nico. She stopped walking and listened.

“Yes, Nico-san.” It was Kohiro.

“Eli’s been in coma for almost a week now...."

Emerald eyes widened in shock. _So that’s what it was about._ She rushed back to her bedroom and covered herself with her blanket.

“Eli…chi”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Will Eli wake up anytime soon? Or would she....
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	11. Thank you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohiro takes Nozomi out on a date.

Nozomi woke up in tears. She had that dream again. _Her - chasing after a figure of someone._ But the dream was becoming more and more different since that day. The figure was starting to have colors – blue and white, with a tinge of bloody red. The colors were dull though, making her think of death.

She hurriedly went out of her room to look for Kohiro. The moment she entered the kitchen, she immediately smelled the appealing scent of her favorite yakiniku. He saw Kohiro standing before the stove. She approached and embraced him from behind. She buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“Good morning”, he said. And though she couldn’t see his face, she knew that he was smiling.

She looked at the stove. “Morning Hiro-kun. Is the yakiniku for me?”, she asked, acting innocently.

He chuckled. “Who else for? Go and sit down, I’m finished cooking.”

“Yey!”, she exclaimed, and let go of his body to sit in her chair.

After a while Kohiro followed her.

“What’s the occasion, Hiro-kun? Why cook my favorite?”, she asked as he served her breakfast.

“Hmm… Nothing much. Just thought I’d cheer you up. You look down these past days, is something up?”, he responded.

Nozomi froze at the question. She didn’t tell him that she’s still having bad dreams and she made sure he didn’t see any sign of her being uneasy. She sighed. _Hiro-kun can really see through me huh?, s_ he thought.

She giggled, making Kohiro raise an eyebrow.

“Hmm… maybe I just miss going out and working? Nicochi doesn’t let me work in the studio!” she pouted. “It’s been two weeks since I got out from the hospital!” She started eating her food and her eyes lit up at how delicious it was.

Kohiro laughed lightly. “Well, you know Nico-san. She’s such a worrywart.” He started digging in as well.

“Eh, speak for yourself Hiro-kun. You’re just as much of a worrywart as she is”

“Only because you always do some reckless things. As the more mature ones, we ought to take care of you.” He stuck his tongue out in a playful manner.

“Eh? I do?”, she said while still chewing her food. She giggled.

“You do! Now stop talking and eat your food.”

“Yes, yes.”

They continued eating happily in silence.

“Hey Nozomi?”

“Hmm?” Nozomi looked at him questioningly.

“You miss going out right? What do you say we go to the park and watch a movie later?”

“I’d love that!” Her eyes sparkled in excitement.

He chuckled. “Now finish your breakfast and take a bath”

“Aye aye!”

* * *

“Can we go to the shrine first, Hiro-kun?” Nozomi asked as they went out of their apartment.

“Ah, of course” Kohiro smiled.

And so they came to the shrine. It was their routine whenever they go out - go to the shrine first. Nozomi wanted to pray there whenever possible.

 _May everything and everyone be alright,_  she prayed.  _May..._

 _May Nozomi be alright,_ Kohiro prayed.

After their visit to the shrine, they went to the mall to watch a movie.

“What should we watch Hiro-kun?”, asked Nozomi as they line up for tickets.

“You choose”, he said.

“Hmm…” Nozomi looked at the posters. “How about that one?” She pointed to a dark forest-themed poster. “It looks interesting!”

Kohiro looked up. He frowned when he saw the poster. “But that’s a horror one!”, he exclaimed. He didn’t like horror movies. He _hated_ horror movies. And he knew Nozomi knew that. 

“It looks good!” Nozomi grinned mischievously.

“F-Fine. Let’s go w-watch that.” He sighed. He couldn’t say no to her after all.

“Yey!” Nozomi raised a hand in victory.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”, Kohiro asked exasperatedly.

“Eh? Of course not! Why would I?” and her grin just grew bigger.

“If you say so…”

After two hours of Kohiro clinging to Nozomi’s arm and closing his eyes, and Nozomi laughing silently, the movie was finished and they went out of the cinema. Kohiro was still visibly trembling.

“C’mon Hiro-kun! The movie wasn’t even that scary!”, Nozomi said as she laughed.

“S-Shut up! You know I don’t like horror movies! You’re lucky I love you!”

“Eh I love Hiro-kun too!”, she said as she continued laughing.

“Stop laughing already!”

“Yes yes”, and her laughs were toned down into giggles.

“A-Anyway, let’s go eat lunch. Where do you want to eat?”, he asked when he finally composed himself.

“I know of a place with delicious food! Yousoro!”

“Yousoro?”

“Yup! I once went there with Nicochi and Rin-chan and the foods there were so tasty!”

“Lead the way then." He smiled.

* * *

The journey to Yousoro was short and peaceful with Nozomi’s occasional teasing. When they arrived there, they had to wait in line for a couple of minutes due to the large number of customers.

The wait was worth it though, as they were more than satisfied at the food they ordered.

“Thank you, Hiro-kun”, Nozomi suddenly said while they were eating.

“For what?”, he asked.

“You’re always here for me. And you always see through me even if I tend to hide things from you to keep you from worrying. You always cheer me up whenever you think I’m down. Really, thank you.”

“The pleasure is mine. I’m glad to be able to make you happy.” He smiled warmly.

After eating, they went for a walk in the park.

* * *

 “It really is nice here isn’t it?”, Kohiro said. It was already afternoon and they were seated at the park bench. They were watching the birds chirp happily as the sun slowly set. In front of them were some children playing lively. They can also hear the sounds of cars as the place gets busier.

“It is.” Nozomi smiled. She felt the cold breeze brush against her skin but it was nothing compared to the warm feeling of sitting there with Kohiro and seeing the beautiful scenery before them.

They were enjoying the silence of each other. Then all of a sudden,

“WAAAH!”

Their eyes searched for the source of the sound. They immediately stood up when they saw a young boy crying with his friends beside him. They approached the little children.

They sat to adjust to their height.

“What’s wrong?”, Nozomi asked softly.

“Takkun slipped when he tried to jump over there!”, a little girl said and pointed to a patch of water on the ground.

Nozomi thought of a certain ginger-haired when she heard what happened.

“Let’s go treat your knee, can you stand?”, Kohiro asked the still crying boy, who the girl referred to as Takkun. The boy nodded.

“First we’ll wash your knee okay?”, said Nozomi. He took the boy’s hand and helped him stand up. They then went to the nearby faucet.

“Hold onto onee-chan if it hurts, alright?”, Nozomi said. They boy nodded. Kohiro opened the faucet slowly and they cleaned the boy’s knee. After, they went to the bench they were sitting at earlier.

They sat him and Nozomi took a look on his knee. It was clean but blood continued pouring out of his wound. She took her handkerchief and wiped the blood off. Then she tied it around his knee to stop it from bleeding.

Just then, Kohiro’s phone started ringing and he excused himself.

“Are you feeling better now, Takkun?”, Nozomi asked.

“Mhm! Thank you onee-chan!” He smiled at her gratefully.

“Don’t jump there again Takkun!”, the little girl exclaimed.

“But I can do it next time! Hono-neechan said she didn’t do it in her first try too!”, Takkun argued.

“Hono-neechan?”, Nozomi asked.

“Honoka-oneechan is Tsubasa-oneechan’s girlfriend!”, another boy with long blue hair said. 

Nozomi raised both of her brows in surprise.

“And Tsuba-oneechan is my big sister!”, said Takkun.

“Honoka-oneechan always gives us bread and manjuu! She’s so kind!”, said the little girl. This made Nozomi giggle.

“Yeah, but Tsubasa-oneechan is always strict and doesn’t let us eat so much”, the blue-haired boy pouted.

“Hey! Don’t say that!”, the little girl scolded. “Oh, didn’t she say she’ll pick us up here after sunset?”

“There she is!”, Takkun yelled excitedly, and pointed at the side. “Onee-chaaan!”, he called and waved.

Upon seeing them, Tsubasa rushed to them.

“Takeshi! What did I say about talking to strange–” Tsubasa looked at Nozomi. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t realize it was you Toujou-san!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine”, Nozomi said.

“Onee-chan treated my knee!”, said Takeshi.

“What happened?”, asked Tsubasa.

“He tried to jump over there” Nozomi pointed at the same place the little girl pointed at earlier.

“Just like Hono-neechan!”, said Takeshi. “I didn’t succeed though, but I will next time!”

“Be careful, okay?”, said Tsubasa. “And thank you for treating his knee, Toujou-san.” She turned and bowed lightly to Nozomi.

“It’s nothing.” She smiled. “I didn’t know you had a cute little brother though, Tsubasa-san.”

“Well, he hadn’t been born yet when we last met back in high school. And speaking of, how have you been? I heard from Honoka that you got hospitalized? Are you fine now?”, Tsubasa asked as she took Takeshi’s hand.

“Ah yes, I’m fine now. I just slipped in the bathroom though, nothing serious", the purple-haired answered sheepishly.

“That’s great. I mean, it is great that it’s not that serious.”

“Oh, and I didn’t know too that you and Honoka-chan are dating. How long have you two been together?”, Nozomi asked playfully making Tsubasa’s face heat up.

“N-Not for long, we’ve only started dating about four months ago”, Tsubasa answered.

“I see I see~”

“Oh, we have to go Toujo-san. Our mom’s waiting for us. Thank you again for treating his knee, and it's nice to see you again.” She bowed lightly. 

“See you then Tsubasa-san” Nozomi waved goodbye as Tsubasa led the children to her car.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is all for now, but things will be happening from the next chapter and so!


	12. I guess.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Umi calls Maki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to greet everyone a Merry Christmas! <3  
> In my country, we celebrate Christmas starting September :3
> 
> So anyway many thanks to all of you who have read this fic and gave kudos and comments!

Maki slumped on her table exasperatedly. She was exhausted beyond belief because of working overtime at the hospital. She had to do an impromptu surgery on a child. Thankfully, the operation was a success, and she saved the child’s life.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and take a nap, her phone suddenly rang. She planned to ignore it but decided otherwise when she saw the caller’s name. It was Umi. It was unusual for her to call at this hour so it made Maki worry. She answered.

“Hello, Umi? What’s wrong? It’s only 4 am.” It was evident in the redhead’s voice that she was tired.

**Oh, I’m sorry for calling this early! I should’ve been more considerate. I’m f-fine Maki, it’s nothing!**

“No, no, it’s alright. What happened?”

**It’s nothing, really! Don’t worry about i-**

“It’s about Kotori, isn’t it?”

**H-How did you know?**

“You would’ve talked to her if it’s not. So? What happened?” Maki smirked though no one can see it. She could hear a sigh of defeat on the other end of the line.

**I guess… Can we talk about it personally? Oh, but some other day is fine, I know you’re tired right now.**

“No, today’s fine. I don’t have any days off this week either.”

**Are you sure?**

“Of course. Do you mind if we talk at my place though? I don’t really have the energy to go out.”

**Absolutely not. I’ll meet you there then. At what time?**

“Maybe in an hour. I’m still at the hospital.”

**Okay, thank you very much Maki. I knew I can count on you.**

“It’s nothing. I have something to talk about too anyway.”

**I see. See you later then!**

“See ya”

Maki was the first to hang up. She put her phone down and stood up. _Guess I’ll have to be the good friend now,_  she thought. She arranged her things and went home.

She glanced at her wristwatch. _4:37… can’t afford to take a nap_. So she went to her kitchen and turned the coffee maker on. Until now, she still couldn’t trust herself into making her coffee so she settled on a coffee maker. _Nico-chan will laugh at me if she finds out about this…,_ she thought and a small smile formed in her lips. _Nico-chan…._

She took a sit while waiting for her coffee. She checked her email on her phone and found some new messages; though they were mainly about stuff about medicine. She put her phone down and thought about the happenings these past few weeks. _Muse are together again after so long… even just for a project. Nozomi got hospitalized. Eli too… she still hasn’t woken up… I hope she’ll be okay soon. And Nico-chan… I wonder why...._

The sound of the coffee maker indicating her coffee was ready brought her back to reality. She stood up and poured herself a cup. She went back to her living room with her coffee. But before she could sit down, the doorbell rang. _Must be Umi._ She put her cup on the table and opened the door. She was right; it was the calm and composed Umi, except she wasn’t calm _nor_ composed. The blue haired threw herself into Maki’s arms and started-or _continued_ crying. It was obvious in her tear-stained face that she was crying on her way there.

“Umi what–”

“S-She doesn’t l-love me anymore Maki! S-She h-hates me now!” Maki could barely understand what Umi was saying. She led her friend inside and closed the door. She sat her down the couch while still holding her in her arms. She rubbed her back in circles to comfort her, and after a while, she calmed down.

“Wait here, I’ll get you some water” the redhead softly said and she slowly let go of her. She stood up and headed to the kitchen.

While waiting, Umi wiped her face with her sleeves. Maki came back with a glass of water and she gladly accepted it.

Once everything was settled, Maki asked, “what happened, Umi?”

“Kotori and I had an argument…” Umi looked down.

“About?”

“It’s about… Nozomi and Eli.”

Maki raised a brow. “What about them?”

“We were talking about Eli’s condition and how she’s not waking up… and she said maybe we should already tell Nozomi about it because what Eli really needs right now is her. I get her point but as Nico said, we shouldn’t add this to Nozomi’s worries…”

_“But they are still friends, aren’t they? We should let them be with each other Umi-chan!” Kotori spoke with tears on the verge of falling out from her eyes._

_“Kotori, you know it isn’t that easy. It would just complicate things if they talk again.” Umi took a deep breath to calm herself._

_“It’s just talk! Don’t you care about Eli-chan? We both know Nozomi-chan is the one who can make her well again!”_

_“I_ do _care about Eli. That's why I do not want them to see each other. They would never be together again because Nozomi already has Kohiro-san by her side.”_

_“But talking doesn’t mean they would be together again! They need closure! Eli-chan needs her!”_

_“Do you really think they could just go back to being best friends after all that happened? Once Nozomi entertains her Eli would hope they can be together again. And that would never happen. Do you understand? I don’t want Eli to be hurt even more.” It was becoming hard for Umi to stay calm._

_“But at this rate Eli-chan might never even wake up!”_

_“There are other ways, Kotori! We are here! Maki and her hospital won’t let her be in danger! Nozomi isn’t all that Eli has! Why don’t you_ understand _!?” Umi, for the first time in their years of relationship, raised her voice against Kotori, making the latter flinch and cry._

“You’re _the one who don’t understand Umi-chan! I_ hate _you!” ,was the last thing she heard from Kotori before the ash blonde left her in their home._

By the time Umi finished her story, she was crying again and so Maki wrapped her arms around her once more.

“When did this happen?”, the redhead asked.

“Y-Yesterday…”

Maki sighed. “You haven’t slept a wink since, have you?”

“I c-couldn’t sleep knowing she hates me now… that’s the first time she told me that… and I don’t know what to say to her so I didn’t chase nor call her….” 

“It’s okay, it’s okay… You both need some time to cool down. You can stay here with me today”, Maki said soothingly.

“Thank you ,Maki…”

“She loves you, okay? Don’t ever doubt that. She was just carried away. Both of you were just carried away. You should make up with her, maybe tomorrow? Nozomi and Eli wouldn’t want you arguing because of them. Okay?” Maki gave her a small smile.

“Mhm… thank you…” Umi gave Maki a last squeeze before she let go and returned the smile. “I was right to call you.”

“Uegh? I’m not that helpful am I? I know I’m bad at comforting words, Hanayo– even Rin would be a better choice.” The redhead looked away and a tinge of red came into her face.

Umi chuckled. “You _are_ helpful. Really, thanks”

“I-If you say so.” Maki started to twirl the ends of her hair.

“So anyway, you said you have something to talk about too?”, Umi asked.

“Oh, yeah. It’s kinda the same with yours, actually. I think.” Maki looked back at her.

“Really? Is it about Eli too?”

“N-No, um, never mind I said it’s the same”

Umi chuckled. “What? What happened?”

“It’s, uh, about… N-Nico-chan”

“Nico? What about her?” Umi noticed that Maki still called their black haired friend with the honorific “chan” but decided not to comment about it.

“I noticed she’d been uneasy lately…”

“Isn’t that to be expected? Considering all that’s happening right now…” Umi raised an eyebrow.

“No, I mean, she’s being super uneasy. Like, she’s so jumpy when it comes to certain things?”

“Certain things like what?”

“Well, I notice she becomes uncomfortable when that Kohiro guy is being mentioned. Or something? I don’t know, maybe I just overthink things?”

“Oh? Jealous now, are we?” Umi teased.

“W-What? Of course not! Why will I be?” Maki’s face flushed as red as her hair.

Umi giggled. “I was just kidding, don’t worry. But jokes aside, are you sure about that? Why do you think so?”

“It’s not really something like _that_ you know. Let me correct myself. She becomes uncomfortable when that Kohiro guy and Nozomi’s _relationship_ is mentioned. Like, she knows something’s really wrong but doesn’t say anything about it. I can say that with years of b-being with her back then… I know her.”

“I see… Actually, I thought the same too – that something’s different about him. Ever since the first time we met him.” Umi put her hand on her chin.

“Really? I thought I was the only one. Then, what do you think is it about?”

“I don’t know. Or maybe it’s just that, we’re not used to Nozomi having another partner besides Eli? This is the first time that one of us had a boyfriend after all. And we found it out all of a sudden too.”

“But how can we explain Nico-chan’s behavior? What do we do, Umi?” Maki’s eyebrows furrowed.

“I… have no idea. Let’s just keep an eye on her and Kohiro-san for now, I guess?”

“Yeah, I guess we can’t really do anything now. I just hope Nico-chan’s fine and all…” Maki sighed. This made Umi smile.

“You really do still care about her, huh?”, she whispered.

“Huh? Did you say something?”, Maki asked.

“Nothing!” Umi giggled.

“Eh?” Maki was becoming more and more confused.

“Anyway! I’m sorry for being such a mess earlier, Maki. I just really didn’t know what to do…”

Maki pouted at Umi’s attempt to change the topic but she didn’t pry on it further. “It’s fine. It’s not like this is the first time I’ve seen you like that anyway.” She smirked, thinking about that time when Umi cried to her because Kotori didn’t talk to her for a day and she thought she was breaking up with her. But in reality, Kotori and the rest of Muse just planned a surprise for the blue-haired’s birthday.

“I guess so…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading!
> 
> I need your help too, does anyone know where I can watch all of Muse' live concerts? Thanks in advance!
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	13. Spiritual Power

_“Nozomi? Where are you? I’m scared! It’s so dark here! Nozomi!” Eli stood still. She stood still in the middle of a dark, dark place. She couldn’t move a muscle. She didn’t want to. She was scared - terrified. She was confused – one minute it’s so bright and lively with Nozomi by her side, and the next she found herself standing all alone with no trace of light._

_“Nozomi! Nozomi! Nozomi!”, she cried. She called and called but there was no response. It just seemed like the dark was consuming her more. She fell into her knees, palms on her face. She was losing hope. The place was getting more cramped, and cramped, and cra—_

_“Elichi!”, she heard. Trembling, she looked up. All fear and hopelessness were washed away by the goddess in front of her. Light was being emitted from her. She was glowing. Eli stood up. But as she reached for her, Nozomi turned and ran; and at the direction she’s going, Eli caught a glimpse of a tall man, seeming to be waiting for Nozomi. Eli chased. She chased with her hand reaching for her back. Her back – that was the last thing Eli saw before she completely disappeared from her sight and the darkness consumed her yet again._

_“Elichi!” Eli opened her eyes and saw the same goddess –_ her _Nozomi._

_“Nozo-” Nozomi embraced her tightly._

_“I thought you weren’t gonna wake up!”, she said, and Eli felt her shoulder dampening from Nozomi’s tears. She held onto her too._

_“What happened?”, Eli asked as they let go._

_“Y-You were crying in your sleep so I tried to wake you up b-but then you wouldn’t wake up and I got worried! I was scared Elichi! I thought you’re gonna leave me!”, she said. Eli wrapped her arms around Nozomi and she remembered._

_“I was having a bad dream, Nozomi. It was dark… and I was alone. Then you came but only to leave again… and there was that man waiting for you…” She started to cry again._

_“That’s not true! I won’t leave Elichi! I love Elichi sooo much!”, and she smiled._ Oh how Eli loved that look, her sparkling green eyes, her adorable smile.

_She pressed their foreheads together and said, “promise me?”._

_Nozomi giggled. “I promise! No matter what happens, Elichi is the only one for me, and I’m the only one for Elichi! That is why I won’t ever, ever, eeever leave Elichi! Elichi won’t leave me too right? Because Elichi can’t sleep in the dark without me by her side!”_

_“Hey! Will you ever stop teasing me?”, she scolded, but they both knew Eli loved being teased by her._

_“Nope! Just as I won’t ever stop loving you” Nozomi gave her the warmest and most loving smile Eli had ever seen, and there goes her heart, melted by the goddess in front of her._

_Eli kissed her forehead and said, “I love you too, Nozomi. Always have, always will. And if anything or anyone tries to come between us–”_

_“I will crush them with my spiritual power!” Nozomi raised her fist and grinned._

_Eli chuckled, “Yeah, you do that”._

Eli opened her eyes. But this time, there was no goddess in front of her. All she could see was the white ceiling of the room. She heard machines beeping, liquid dropping, and nothing. She looked around and saw flowers on the table. _What..?, s_ he thought. She felt weak. Her head ached.

“Noz–” Her voice cracked. Her throat felt so dry. “No...zomi...” 

Her eyes found its way to her left arm. It was still covered by bandages. 

_Oh… that’s right… I… because of… Nozomi… no… she still loves me… she promised me…_

Remembering what happened and her dream made her cry. She was crying with so much emotions. She was sad, but at the same time, _relieved_. She was still hurt; but remembering their promises, and how she told her they’re the only ones for each other made her forget all that’s happening and believe that they could be together again.

The door opened.

“Eli! You’re awake!” it was Maki, and it was obvious in her voice that she was happy to see her friend awake again.

Eli looked up. “Maki!”

The redhead rushed to her and took her into her arms. “Why are you crying? Does it hurt anywhere?”, she asked.

Eli returned the _embrace_. “N-No… Maki! Nozomi! Nozomi still loves me! I c-can get her back!”

Maki furrowed her brows. _Did being in coma affected her brain so much..?_ She didn’t want to ruin her friend’s new-found hope, but she knew she had to. It was to avoid hurting her more.

“B-But Eli, you know that’s i-impossi–”

“It’s not impossible! Don’t say things like that Maki!” Eli let go and looked at her in the eyes.

“Calm down, calm down. We need to check your condition… your brain must’ve been… making you have delusions...” Maki looked away.

“I’m perfectly fine! There’s nothing wrong in my brain, Maki. Nozomi told me! In my dream! You know what that means right?”

As much as Maki would like to argue with that, she couldn’t really. They both knew that dreams involving Nozomi always, _always_ , come true. It was an indication of the purple-haired’s _spiritual power._

Maki sighed. “I guess…”, though she still wasn’t that convinced. _It was just a dream after all. It can't possibly come true_. “But seriously, let me check your body.”

“Yes doctor!” Eli grinned.

* * *

Two days after waking up, Eli was allowed to go home. She still wasn’t allowed to work for another week though. So she spent her days with Alisa. She didn’t realize how she missed her sister so much before that. She didn’t realize that she was losing time for her family because of her business. She made the best of that one week. It was a good thing that Alisa’s work was only until noon and she had her whole afternoon free. They would watch movies together, play video games, or just laze around in bed talking about different kinds of things. Eli felt happy to be able to spend time like this with her sister. Though sometimes, her friends from Muse visit too, not that she minded it.

After a week, Eli was finally able to work again. Her employees welcomed her back with big smiles. She was also greeted by one of the managers, Kotori.

“Welcome back Eli-chan!” Kotori gave the blonde a short hug and the latter returned it.

“Thanks, Kotori." She smiled at her and together, they entered Eli’s office.

 “How’s business going?”, Eli asked as she took her seat.

“Everything’s going well! We only encountered some minor problems when you were gone but everything’s been settled now and all is good”, Kotori reported happily.

“That’s great. About our magazine, Maki told me that she postponed all work, do you think we can continue now?”, Eli inquired.

“Of course! There should be no problem with everyone’s schedule right now…” Kotori looked down. “…except me? Um, actually, I have something to tell you…”

Eli furrowed her eyebrows in concern. “Hmm? What is it?”

“I can’t always be around for this project starting tomorrow… Is that okay? I ran into some problems in my shops and I have to take care of it…”

“Ah, of course it is! I told you, you don’t always have to work part time here! I know you have your own shops to take care of and I don’t want to burden you here. It’s perfectly fine Kotori” Eli stood up to give the younger girl a pat on the shoulder.

“Thank you very much Eli-chan!”

“But you know, I still don’t get why you still insist on working here part time even though you already have your own business that’s actually bigger than mine!” Eli laughed. “Oh but don’t get me wrong, I always appreciate your work here!”

Kotori chuckled. “I just wanted to work on different environments. I love designing and making clothes but I don’t want to be stuck in a room full of threads and needles forever, you know?”

“Ah, I get that. Working on different places really refreshes the mind. That’s actually why I started my first shop here, even though this place is kind of far from mine and my parents’.” Eli giggled.

“Oh so that is why! I’ve always thought about why you did this.”

Eli suddenly looked down “And I guess… it’s to forget people too… especially Nozomi...” She looked up and saw Kotori frowning in sadness. She smiled and waved her hand. “Don’t look at me like that! I haven’t given up on her you know? I know the right time will come that we’ll be together again.”

“I guess so…”

“So anyway, can we have a meeting with the rest of Muse today? I want to discuss the continuation of the project.”

“Of course, of course. Will after lunch do?”

“Yup.”

“After lunch it is then! I’ll call them now!”

* * *

 Umi was the first to arrive to Eli’s office. She greeted the blonde and her girlfriend before taking a seat.

“How are you, Eli?”, she asked.

“I’m fine now, no need to worry!” The blonde smiled.

“That is great.”

“Umi-chan’s such a worrywart, you know!” Kotori teased. “She was the one who visited you the most when you were in the hospital!”

“Kotori!” Umi's face heated up.

“Really? I’m so touched Umi!”, Eli said dramatically. She and Kotori giggled.

A knock came from the door. Kotori stood up to open it. “Must be the others”, she said, while still smiling.

She was right; it was Nico, Nozomi, and Rin – Spiritual Power Photography.

“Come in, come in!”, said Kotori.

“Good afternoon”, Nozomi greeted.

“Hey”, said Nico.

“Aftie nya!” Rin hugged Kotori excitedly.

Kotori giggled and returned the hug. “Someone’s excited huh?”

“Of course nya! We’ll be working all together again! But it’s sad Honoka-chan and Kayo-chin can’t go today… Kayo-chin said Honoka-chan will guest on some show today”

“Yeah… she already told us that. Take your seats everyone”, said Eli.

“We’ll start the meeting now~”, Kotori said.

“Eh? What about Maki-chan?”, asked Rin. Nico raised a brow.

“She said she’s on duty today so she won’t come”, said the ash blonde.

Rin nodded her head in understanding.

“So first of all, I would like to apologize for the sudden postponement of our project. It was truly my fault. I’m sorry.” Eli stood up and bowed.

“It’s fine Eli, don’t worry about it now”, Umi said.

“Thanks.” Eli sat again. “Thank you for understanding. Thanks for visiting me too and for the gifts.” She smiled at them. Though she avoided eye contact with a certain purple-haired.

“N-No problem. Let’s get to business”, said Nico. She purposely changed the topic for she didn’t want Nozomi to question anything. They didn’t tell her anything about what happened; but they didn’t know that Nozomi knew it. Thankfully for them, Nozomi stayed quiet.

“Yeah.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading!
> 
> What do you think about this chapter? *w*
> 
> Have a good day everyone! Lovelots! <3


	14. Left Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maki hears something she isn't supposed to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day! I want to apologize for the lack of update last week, I had to finish some schoolworks and stuff. Though I was able to post a short one-shot. Check it out guys!
> 
> As an apology, I will post a double chapter this week! The next part of the double chapter will be posted tomorrow. Enjoy reading!

“Hey Nozomi”, Kohiro called.

“Mhm?” Nozomi turned to face him while tying her hair into its usual low twintails.

“Let me drive you to Nishikino-san’s villa. That’s where you’re staying for three days right?”, he asked.

“Yes but, don’t you have work at the other side of the country today as well? I will go with Nicochi and Rin-chan” She brushed her hair.

“I just got a call from my coworker. He said we switched location with the others. Our new project will be somewhere near the villa.” He smiled at her.

“Oh, that’s good then! Is it okay if Nicochi and Rin-chan will go with us?”

“Of course. Go call them. I’ll put our bags in the car and we’ll fetch them” Kohiro stood up and went to arrange their things.

“Okay! Thanks!”

* * *

 “Aren’t we there yet? It’s almost 7 pm! We’re supposed to be there at 6”, Nico said, obviously irritated.

“I’m getting hungry nya!” Rin rubbed her stomach sadly.

“We’re almost there. The traffic’s been so heavy because of the rain”, Kohiro said while tapping on the steering wheel of the car. 

“We’ve been at the same place for at least 30 minutes now...”, Nozomi said.

“Oh, we’re moving”, Kohiro said.

“At last nya!”

* * *

“Sorry we’re late. Heavy traffic”, Nico said as she and Rin entered.

“It’s fine. Kotori and I only arrived 30 minutes ago too”, Umi said.

“Have a seat. Kotori’s preparing tea for all of us”, Eli said as she came out from the kitchen and took a seat herself.

“Is everyone here now nya?”, Rin asked.

“Yes, Honoka and Hanayo are upstairs”, Maki - who was seated beside Umi - said. “Where’s Nozomi?”

“She’s still in the car with Kohiro-san nya”, Rin answered.

“With Tokura-san?” Maki raised an eyebrow. Eli did too.

“Y-Yeah. They’re parking the car. He drove us here.” Nico said.

The door opened and revealed the topic of their conversation. There stood Nozomi and Kohiro with the latter holding Nozomi’s and Nico’s bags.

“Good evening”, Nozomi greeted. Kohiro bowed and greeted too.

“E-Evening”, Eli said.

“I’ll go get Hoshizora-san’s bag”, Kohiro said after putting the bags on the couch.

“What about yours?”, Maki asked. “You should stay the night too. You can’t possibly go out there in this rain and hour.”

“Are you sure? I can sleep in the car and leave tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah.” Maki twirled the ends of her hair.

“Thank you, Nishikino-san. Then I’ll go get the bags now.” 

* * *

Since it was late, they decided to make it a day and settle down in the bedrooms. Honoka, Hanayo, Rin, Eli, and Maki were in one room, Nico, Nozomi, Umi, and Kotori in the other, and Kohiro was alone in another.

Hours passed but Maki couldn’t sleep with Honoka’s snoring so she decided to get a glass of milk to drink. She was glad the rain has stopped so she went out to look at the stars. What she didn’t expect to see though, was Nico with Kohiro outside. _So something’s really going on with them?_ She instinctively hid herself behind some plants and looked at them. They were talking but Nico seemed furious.

“I just don’t see the point anymore!”

“No, Nico-san, believe me, I still needed to do that to protect her!”

_Are they talking about Nozomi? What did he do?_

“For fuck’s sake Kohiro! You’re just complicating things now! What would she feel if she found out about this!? She would think her life’s being controlled, it’s like you’re taking away her freedom!”

“But you’re doing the same thing, aren’t you? We both know what she really wants but you still....”

_Still what?_

“I just want to protect her too! But what you’re doing is too much already!”

“Didn’t you agree with me about this too?”

“I did but I already told you to stop! It’s not right anymore! And I’m telling you again. Stop pretending you’re Nozomi’s boyfriend!”

_What!? He’s just pretending? So that’s why it’s so fishy!_

“But-!”

“No buts. Listen to those who are older Kohiro. You are Nozomi’s younger brother, not her boyfriend.”

_He’s her brother? Why did Nico-chan allow him!?_

“Fine. But I’ll still do anything for her not to get hurt by that _bitch_ again.”

“Good. You go back now. I still need fresh air.”

Kohiro nodded and went inside. This was Maki’s cue to come out and talk to Nico.

“Nico-chan”, she said.

Nico flinched and looked at her. She froze.

“W-What are you doing here!?”

“Why did you let him do that?”, Maki asked instead of answering.

“Him? Who? Do what?” Nico kept playing innocent and avoided looking at her.

“Kohiro.”

“What’s with him?”

“Look at me! Why did you let that Kohiro pretend that he’s Nozomi’s boyfriend!? And what’s with that you’re doing the same thing!?” 

“Fine!” Nico breathed deeply then looked at Maki directly in the eyes furiously. “I’ll tell you!”

 “I agreed with him when he told me that he wanted to pretend that he’s Nozomi’s boyfriend because we both wanted to protect Nozomi! We didn’t want her to be with Eli again because she may be hurt again! We’ve seen how much she was hurting in the past and it hurts us too! We don’t wanna see that again!”

“I’ve heard that already! Why do you think you need to protect her so badly!? I told you Eli’s changed so much for her! She won’t leave her again!”

“I don’t want her to experience what I did!”

“What?” Maki was stunned. _What did she mean?_

“I don’t want her to expect that Eli will go back to her and everything will go fine! I don’t want her to expect and then Eli would fuck her life and just leave her hanging just when she thought that she’s finally going to be happy! I don’t want her to because that’s what hurts the most! I don’t want her to be broken as I was when you left me! When you said that you’re going back to me! When you said I’m the only one for you! When you said that it’s me that you love the most! When you said that we’re going to be together forever! But all those were just fucking lies because you still chose to leave me!” Nico’s tears forced its way out from her eyes.

Maki was left speechless. She froze from where she stood. She knew she hurt Nico a lot when she left her. She knew Nico was mad at her. But this was the first time that she heard it directly from her.

“I don’t wanna be left alone! If they got back together I will be the only one left and I’m still broken by you! Kotori’s got Umi! Honoka’s got Tsubasa! Rin and Hanayo will eventually get together! What’s left for me!? No one! No one! That’s the real reason why I don’t want them to be together again!”

Nico didn’t say anything more but instead cried.

Maki wrapped her arms around her.

“I’m here…”

“Don’t touch me! I hate you! I hate you!” Nico hit her with her fists but Maki didn’t mind the pain and she embraced her tighter.

“I’m sorry, Nico-chan… I’m so sorry…” Tears were streaming down her face too.

“I hate you! I hate... you” Nico grew tired of hitting her and rested her head on Maki’s chest. She was still crying.

Maki planted a kiss on her head. “I’m so sorry…”

They stayed like that for a while, with the breeze of the night enveloping them. When Nico was starting to calm down, she removed herself from Maki.

“I’m sorry. I must’ve looked pathetic. I mean, I still do love you after all that happened, isn’t that pathetic? Yeah, yeah it is. And selfish too, I am. I know, I know. Don’t mind me. Forget all that I said. And don’t worry I’ll be sure to inform everyone about Kohiro. I’ll be going now, bye”, she said without letting Maki interrupt her and she went back inside.

Maki was left alone outside, standing, and unable to move. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Sooo now we know who Hiro-kun REALLY is! And the truth about Nico and Maki (not really the whole story but yeah at least).
> 
> What do you think about this chapter? Also I think the pacing is kinda fast here? Or nah? Please tell me your insights! Lovelots! <3


	15. Stubbornness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico reveals the truth to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay again, I've got some problems with my internet connection yesterday.  
> Seriously I'm sorry for all the delayed chapters even though I said updates should be regular ;-; school's been tough on us especially our math subjects :<
> 
> Enjoy reading! <3

 The next morning, Nozomi was tasked by Nico to get something from a convenience store. It was to prevent her from hearing what Nico was about to reveal to the rest of Muse – except Maki of course, she already knew what it was about. 

“Why did you call us here Nico?”. Eli asked. She was curious as to why Nico would want to talk with them all first thing in the morning; and she found it weird for Nico to send Nozomi out at this time. 

Nico looked outside the window to make sure Nozomi was gone. 

“I just want to clarify things here.” She stood in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips.

“Clarify what?”, Umi asked.

“Does it have something to do with Nozomi-chan?”, Honoka asked too.

“I guess”, Nico answered.

“What’s up nya?”, Rin said as she yawned. It was early so she was still sleepy.

“Just spit it, Nico”, Eli said.

“Okay, listen. This guy here…” She dragged Kohiro beside her. “… _ain’t_ Nozomi’s boyfriend.”

Gasps of “what?” were heard from the six of them.

Umi stood up. “Wha–” She was interrupted by Nico’s hand waving. The blue haired furrowed her brows.

“Before you get angry or whatsoever I’ll explain”, Nico said.

Umi sat down again. _So that’s what it was?_ She looked at Maki who then nodded at her.

“When Kohiro said he wanted to pretend he’s her boyfriend, I agreed to him. So I’m to blame too. That’s why I want to apologize. I’m very sorry for the misunderstanding.” She bowed and elbowed Kohiro, making him do the same.

“Nico-chan…”, Maki mumbled and looked at Nico worriedly.

“I’m very sorry”, Kohiro said, somewhat pouting. “But it was just-!” He was hit by Nico again.

“But. Halfway through, I told him to stop. But he didn’t listen. Okay, I’m not saying this as an excuse but yeah, just listen to me.”

“Why did you agree Nico?”, Eli asked, looking at her furiously.

“I-We just wanted to protect Nozomi.” Nico looked down.

“From _**you!** ”_ Kohiro pointed at Eli. “I don’t want you to hurt Nozo-nee again!”

“Kohiro shut up!”, Nico scolded.

“I won’t!” Eli stood up and gave Kohiro a piercing look. “I won’t ever hurt her again!”

“Eli, calm down”, said Umi. Eli sat down again, still looking mad.

“Nozo _-nee_?” Kotori asked.

“Yeah. He’s Nozomi’s younger brother”,Maki said.

“How…?”, Hanayo asked.

“Y’know. That typical _twins separated at birth, then met when they’re older._ Except they’re not twins. This guy is the same age as Hanayo.” Nico rolled her eyes. “That’s basically what happened. Sometime after Eli broke up with Nozomi, she met Kohiro and stuff.”

“I see. I guess it makes sense though”, Umi said.

“Yeah! I always thought it was cool that they have the same hair and eye color!”, Honoka agreed.

“Wait, Maki-chan, you knew?”, Rin asked.

“Uh, yeah, I somewhat... kind of... heard them last night?” The redhead twirled the ends of her hair.

Eli looked at Maki curiously.

“I only knew it l-last night I swear!”, Maki defended. Eli sighed.

“So as I was saying, we believed it was the best thing to do to prevent Eli from doing something to get back with Nozomi and hurt her again. But now I’ve realized that we were just preventing her to be happy again. N-Not that I’m saying she still loves you okay!? There’s just this chance.” Nico looked away.

Eli’s eyes lit up at what Nico said. “Nico..!”

“That’s why I’ve decided to do nothing against you. But as I said! I’m not saying you should be together again!”, Nico continued.

“But I will!”, Kohiro exclaimed. The raven haired hit him again. "Ow!"

“We already talked about this Kohiro!”, she scolded.

This made Kotori giggle. _Despite his looks and stuff, he can be pretty stubborn too._

“Kotori? Is something the matter?”, Umi asked. 

“It’s nothing~”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes~” Kotori pecked her girlfriend’s cheek making her face flush red.

“B-But I still can’t believe you’ll go to such lengths for her.” There was a hint of anger in the blue-haired’s voice.

“Yeah, I told you I wouldn’t hurt her anymore. Why won’t you trust me?”, Eli said; though she couldn’t really be angry. She felt more _relieved_ than angry after finding out the truth.

“I understand you’re angry with us, but still, please forgive us for pretending he’s Nozomi’s boyfriend and lying to all of you”, Nico said and bowed again, this time with Kohiro willingly with her.

“What?”, a new voice said. They all turned to the door and saw the one they didn’t want to find out about it.

“Nozomi! W-Why are you back so fast?”, Nico panicked.

“I came back immediately when I realized I forgot my wallet halfway through the convenience store. So what is that that I heard?” Nozomi said emotionlessly.

“Uh, I-uh, Nozomi I–” Nico struggled to find the words to explain.

“Hiro-kun?” The purple haired woman turned to her brother.

“I-It’s my fault Nozo-nee, don’t be angry at Nico-san.” He looked down. “I was the one who insisted to pretend to be your boyfriend and I didn’t listen to Nico-san when she told me to stop. I’m so sorry Nozo-nee I just don’t want you to be hurt again…”

“We’re sincerely sorry Nozomi, please forgive us…”, Nico pleaded.

“I… I’m tired of people telling me what to do. I’m tired of people controlling my life and taking away my chances to be happy. I can take care of myself just fine so please! Stop taking things into your hands!” Nozomi broke down into tears and went directly to their shared room.

Kohiro and Nico stood there, not choosing to move.

“Aren’t you gonna follow her nya?”, Rin asked.

“No, we’ll only make her madder…”, Kohiro said. “I’m really so so sorry everyone… I wasn’t thinking properly…”

Umi looked around and sighed. “I guess there’s no point in being angry anymore… What do you think, Eli?”

“Yeah, all we have to worry about now is Nozomi…”, Eli said.

“I’ll talk to her later…” The purple-haired looked at his wristwatch. “Um, I don’t plan to run away from this but can I go to work now? I’m running late, actually…”, he said sheepishly.

“Ah, of course. We’ll talk to Nozomi too, don’t worry”, Eli said.

“Thank you, Ayase-san.” He took his things and headed to the door. “Um, Ayase-san?”

“What is it?” Eli smiled at him.

“You… seem _nice_. I might be wrong about you.” He scratched his cheek with his index finger.

Before the blonde could respond, Kohiro spoke again. “Thanks again!” and he hurried out the door.

“If it wasn’t for the lying thing, he’s kind of nice, don’t you think?”, Kotori asked.

“Yeah, he seems like a good kid”,  Umi said.

“He _is_ a good kid. Just stubborn. _So_ stubborn.” Nico rolled her eyes.

Eli chuckled. “Well, he _is_ Nozomi’s brother, after all. Seems like we’ll get along someday. _I hope._ ”

* * *

A week had passed since they found out about Kohiro’s true identity. In that week, he asked for Nozomi’s forgiveness over and over and explained the reason why he did it. Nozomi forgave him and Nico though she didn’t talk to him as much as she used to. He understood that it will take time for her sister to open up again to him and he settled to the fact that she forgave him. He knew she wasn’t lying when she said that they were forgiven.

It was now time for him to go back to the Philippines for his work. Nico and Nozomi saw him to the airport.

“Before I go, I want to say I’m sorry again for what I did, Nozo-nee. Nico-san too, I’m sorry for being stubborn.” He looked sad.

“It’s okay now, Hiro-kun. I’m sorry I couldn’t be how I used to with you. I’m still just shaken. But remember that Nozo-nee still loves you just as much okay? Take care there and be sure to update me about you.” Nozomi smiled at her brother.

“And you’d better listen to your elders now alright?” Nico chuckled.

“Yes, I promise. Then, I’ll be going now, Nozo-nee, Nico-san.” Kohiro looked uneasy, like trying to say something he couldn’t. “Umm…”

“Yes?” Nozomi giggled. “Of course you can have a hug. Come here.” She spread out her arms wide.

“I didn’t–”

“Hm? My baby brother’s being shy~”, she teased. “Here, let Nozo-nee hug you then!”, and she wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll miss you. Take care of yourself okay?”

Kohiro returned the embrace. “Yes, I’ll miss you too Nozo-nee.”

_Flight 5801 going to Manila, Philippines, will take off in 10 minutes. All passengers of Flight 5801 please proceed inside. I repeat Flight 5801…_

“Oh, I must really go now.” Kohiro gave her sister a squeeze before pulling back. “Bye, Nozo-nee, Nico-san. See you in six months!”

“See you!”, the ladies chorused.

Kohiro gave the two of them one last quick hug before walking towards the gate. Before completely going in though, he turned to them once more and waved goodbye.

Nozomi was sure she’d miss her stubborn brother again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this marks the end of the "Hiro-kun arc" :3 We'll see him again sometime later though. Also I'm also thinking of writing a one-shot about how Nozomi and Hiro-kun met. I'll write it after this fic's done so stay tuned to those who want to read it ~ (Yep, I'm planning to make this a series of this and one-shots about their backstories. Should I? :) )
> 
> Thanks for reading! Talk to me on twitter guys @eSerenityyyy I'm posting updates there and I'll start posting some random drawings! You can also ask me questions there and/or request one-shots ~
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	16. It's time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So here's the new chapter :3 I'm sorry for (again) the late update... I went on a convention last last week (and bought a lot of love live merch) and I was sick last week (until now tbh) so yeah I apologize. Anyway please enjoy! ❤

Nozomi woke up feeling somewhat happy. _It must be a good day today, s_ he thought. She stood up and stretched her body. Then she opened the curtains to let the sunshine in her room.

She took her phone and saw a message notification. It was from her brother. It said,

**Good morning Nozo-nee! How are you? It’s been raining here since yesterday and it’s so cold! >_< Hope you’re fine there! I’m going to work now, see ya!**

She smiled. It had been two weeks since Kohiro went back to the Philippines and he never failed to send at least one text message to her everyday. She sent a message back to him,

**Good morning Hiro-kun! I’m fine here, don’t worry. Make sure to carry an umbrella with you always okay? And some medicine too, since you get colds easily. Take care of yourself!**

She put her phone back on the bedside table and began her daily morning routine.

After making sure she had all her important stuff in her bag, she headed for the door of her apartment. When she opened it, she saw a white rose lying on the floor. She picked it up and saw a small blue card with her name written on it.

She went back inside and put the flower on the table.

She took a card from the deck of tarot cards in her bag. She looked at it before putting it in again. She sighed and left her apartment.

* * *

 “Yes, just come back for it after an hour, we’ll be having our lunch break now”, Nozomi told a client before seeing her off.  

“Nozomi”, Nico called when the purple haired sat down.

Nozomi looked at her. “Hmm?”

“I’m just thinking, why don’t we hire one or two more people to work here?”, the raven-haired said.

“Hmm… it might be a good idea since we’re not always around here because of our _other_ clients…”

“I agree nya”, Rin - who was working on the computer - said.

“There should be no problem with finances too if ever we hire…”, Nozomi said.

“Customers are piling up now too, though I have no idea why”, Nico said.

“It must be a blessing from God.” The purple haired smiled.

“Or maybe they just want to see Nico so they always come here for a photo!”, Nico exclaimed.

“Nah, it’s a blessing nya!”, Rin countered.

“Hey! They want to see me too!”

Rin broke into a fit of laughter, and Nozomi joined in.

They were stopped by a knock on the door. Nico stood up and opened it.

“I’m sorry, we’re on lunch br– oh, Eli, what’s up?”

Nozomi flinched at the name.

“Hey Nico, I brought lunch. Can I come in?” Eli smiled.

Nico hesitantly looked back to Nozomi who nodded slightly.

“Sure.” She opened the door fully to let the blonde in.

Nico returned to her seat while Eli remained standing.

“Hi Eli-chan!” Rin turned to her and grinned. “What d’you got there nya?”

“Yakiniku”, Eli answered. “I figured I’d drop by here and bring you lunch since I’m in the area”

Nozomi’s eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite food. “How nice of you, thank you. Though you didn’t have to.”

“I-It’s nothing. I insist”, Eli said sheepishly; a tinge of red on her face.

“Let’s go eat now!”, Nico said. “Are you done there, Rin?” She stood and walked to the door to the office. 

“Yup! Let’s go nya!” Rin stood up and clung to Eli.

* * *

 While they were eating, Nico casually asked Eli,

“How’s Maki-chan, by the way? Heard she’s not having enough sleep.”

All three of them looked at her.

“What?” The raven haired raised an eyebrow.

“Why _so_ concerned Nico?”, Eli teased.

“Are you two dating again nya?”, Rin asked.

“Oh so _that’s_ why you’ve been _so_ happy lately!” Nozomi grinned playfully.

“W-What are you saying? I’m not-we’re not-!” Nico struggled for words as her face turned as red as a tomato.

“Not what?”, Nozomi asked.

“N-Not! Ugh! We’re n-not dating okay!?”

“Why the need to be so defensive?” Eli burst into laughter, followed by Nozomi and Rin.

“Y-Yeah! You didn’t n-need to be… s-so defensive nya!” Rin managed to say.

“S-Shut up! Stop laughing!”

“Yeees”, the three chorused. Soon enough, their fit of laughter toned down to small giggles.

While they were wiping the tears of laughter from their _eyes_ , emerald met sapphire.

_There was emptiness in the emerald, sapphire knew. Though emerald saw the same thing in sapphire. They both knew that the other was longing, seeking, hoping. They both knew what they wanted. They both knew what they needed. They both knew… that the eyes don’t lie._

Time seemed to stop for a few moments until the emerald looked away; leaving the other red-faced.

“A-Anyway, I don’t mean to be rude, Ayase-san, but I think we should go back to work”, Nozomi said.

“Ah, yes, I need to get going now too. I’m sorry for intruding.” Eli stood up and took her bag.

“Nicochi, please see her off” the purple-haired told her best friend.

“Yes yes” Nico nodded.

“Thank you for the lunch, but you didn’t really have to” Nozomi slightly bowed.

“You’re welcome” The blonde gave her a sweet smile before leaving. _Anything for you._

* * *

**MN: Yeah I heard from her too. Seems like it’ll only be a matter of time before they get together again huh?**

**NY: I don’t know. My idiot best friend still doesn’t want to admit it, even to herself.**

**MN: You two really are best friends. You’re both always in denial :P**

**NY: What? At least I’m not as stupid as _your_ best friend. And you.**

**MN: I guess I _am_ stupid. I fell for you after all.**

**NY: What do you mean? >:(**

**MN: Nothing ~**

* * *

It was late in the evening and Nico and Nozomi were the only ones left in their studio; as Rin was always the first to go home. 

**Bzzt bzzt**

Nozomi’s phone vibrated indicating that there’s a new message. She took it from the table and opened it. She raised an eyebrow because it only showed the sender’s number. Meaning, the sender isn’t someone from her contacts. She opened the message.

Her heart thumped heavily, brows furrowed. Her best friend noticed it.

“Nozomi what’s wrong?”, she asked.

Nozomi showed her the message.

**Good evening. This is Eli. I was just wondering if maybe you would like to hang out on Sunday? I mean, you three, with Nico and Rin. There’s this good movie coming out and I’d like to see it with you. I’m sorry for suddenly texting, I got your number from Kotori.**

Nico sighed. _Going full force huh?,_ she thought.

“Eh, why not? We’re only open half day on Sundays anyway”, she said.

“But Nicochi...”

“What? Are you gonna say there’s work again? There’s nothing to do on Sunday afternoon Nozomi. No more excuses.” Nico smirked.

“It’s just that…”, Nozomi trailed off. She didn’t know what to say more.

“It’s not like you’re gonna be alone with her you know? Me and Rin will be there too. Think of it as a break for the kid.”

“…” Nozomi let out a sigh of defeat. She remembered the card that she took that morning. “Fine, fine. We’ll go.”

_Maybe it’s time to follow the cards…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo yeah thanks for reading! I apologize also for the short length of this chapter. I planned on releasing double chapters this week but I've decided to do that next week since it'll be Eli's birthday! (Hope I get some good cards on her bday box on sif)
> 
> If you notice some errors or stuff, please do tell me :>
> 
> Also if you wanna request or see some other stuff of mine, follow me on twitter @eSerenityyyy we can chat there!
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	17. I don't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day! I'm sorry again for the delay ;-; I had some things to finish and there was my final exams (also, I'm staying here at my grandparents' place for the semestral break and there's no such thing as stable internet connection here). Instead of a double chapter, I put it in a single one and so this is the longest chapter that I've written!
> 
> Belated Happy Birthday to Eli ❤ (My scouts are on twitter, failed to get a UR ;-; )  
> And Happy happy birthday to Rin ❤
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading!

Sunday afternoon came, and Nozomi, together with Rin and Nico, was waiting for Eli in their studio.  They agreed, or rather, Eli insisted, that she would pick them up at 2 pm and from there, they would go to the cinemas and wherever their feet would take them.

Nozomi sighed.

She was feeling uneasy since the night that Eli invited them. She told herself that she shouldn’t be; it was just a friendly hangout after all. They’re _friends_ , weren’t they? Even though they didn’t say a word to each other after they broke up. Whatever happened in their past had nothing to do with what’s happening now. She convinced herself that she had already moved on from the blonde. That’s also the reason why she accepted her as their client. She kept telling that to herself even though her cards said otherwise. Her cards, which she trusted since years and years ago, were telling her what she really wanted. Yet, she chose to use her rational and practical side and ignored them. She guessed it wasn’t bad once in a while; she didn’t want to get hurt again after all. But then again, had her cards been wrong? _Yes_ , she thought. It once said that she would be happy with her, but look at what happened. After they broke up five years ago, there was a point that she didn’t touch her cards. She doubted them. She thought that they were just giving her false hopes. Though there came another point that she was so troubled and lonely and her cards was the only one there. She remembered why she loved them so much; they were the only ones there for her when everyone else wasn’t. So she learned to trust them again.

**Bzzt Bzzt**

Nico’s cellphone vibrated. She took it and saw a message from Eli. It said,

**Hey Nico, I’m already outside your studio :)**

The raven haired stood up and said, “She said she’s outside. Let’s go.” She looked at Nozomi and offered her a smile.

Nozomi just returned Nico’s smile and nodded before standing up too.

“Let’s go nya!” Rin stood up, raised her fist in excitement, and led the way out.

They were greeted by a smiling and waving Eli - in a purple shirt and white cardigan - beside her car.

“Good afternoon girls!” She grinned.

“Aftie nya!” Rin wrapped the blonde in a warm hug before letting go again.

“You look happy. What’s up?”, Nico asked.

“Because how could I not be when I have this beautiful lady here with me?” She turned to Nozomi who was surprised by the sudden attention and so flinched.

Rin’s mouth just formed an ‘o’. 

“Eh?” The purple haired’s face had a tinge of red.

“Good afternoon, Nozomi”, Eli greeted her with a warm smile.

“G-Good afternoon”, she greeted back. The uneasiness in her only grew more and it didn’t go unnoticed by her best friend.

“Ehem. Can we go now?”, Nico asked, obviously annoyed. She then proceeded inside the car, taking the front seat.

The blonde opened the door for the remaining two. Rin got in first, followed by Nozomi who bowed a silent thank you before going in.

Once settled inside, Eli started driving.

“What kind of movie are we going to see, Eli-chan?”, Rin asked eagerly.

“Oh, about that....” Eli trailed off.

“What?”, Nico asked.

“I might’ve mistaken the release date…”, the blonde said sheepishly.

“What do you mean nya?”

“I thought the release would be today but when I checked it yesterday it turned out to be next week...”

“Eh? What’re we going to watch then?” Nico raised an eyebrow.

“Remember Mari-san and her friends?”, Eli asked.

Nozomi looked up. _Who’s that?, s_ he thought.

Rin nodded.

“Yeah, what about them?”, the raven-haired asked.

_Nicochi and Rin-chan know them?_

“Well, they have this friend and she’s a theatre actress. They said she’ll act on a musical play later so why don’t we go see it?”, Eli suggested.

“Oh, that’s a good idea nya!”

“Yeah, that okay with you too, Nozomi?” Nico looked back at the purple-haired.

Nozomi nodded. “Of course.”

They continued their way to the theater with little chitchats.

When they arrived, Eli parked her car and they proceeded inside. It was a good thing that Eli already bought tickets for the play the day before. Otherwise they would be waiting in a long line for it.

Nico sat between Rin and Nozomi with Eli at the other side of the purple-haired.

While waiting for the play to start, Nozomi read the pamphlet that was given to them at the entrance. It had the list of the cast and their roles, the staffs, and a short description of the play.

“The lead is the friend of Mari-san”, Eli told them.

Nico looked at her pamphlet. “Oh, yes, I know her. She’s also from the same idol group as Ohara.”

“Really nya?”

 _Hanamaru Kunikida._ Nozomi thought.

“She’s from Aqours, Nozomi. Do you remember?”, Nico answered her unsaid question.

“That’s the group you were interested in years ago, right?” The purple-haired remembered her best friend constantly talking about this certain group that she said reminded her of their own.

“Yep! They each have different jobs now but they still do lives every once in a while.” There was a hint of sadness in the raven haired’s eyes and Nozomi saw through it.

“I see…” She thought of the time when her friends wanted to do a live again but she declined. _Maybe I should’ve agreed..?_

“Oh the play’s about to start”, Eli said suddenly.

All four of them turned to the stage and the curtains slowly opened, revealing Hanamaru Kunikida herself. The stage was set up to look like a room of a young girl. Hanamaru was sitting on the edge of a bed and hugging a stuffed animal. She started singing.

The play overall was heartwarming. It in fact made them, and the other audience, tear up. It started with a sorrowful mood, showing the lead’s troubles, anxieties, and how she lost herself. It showed how she struggled to be happy in front of others when she was dying inside. She would cut herself to feel physical pain and ease the emotional. She was missing her old self. She asked herself why she became like that. She then went on a journey to find herself again. It wasn’t an easy ride but she managed to become better again by meeting new people and understanding their own problems. It ended with a happy and fulfilling song when she was finally able to overcome her struggles.

They were chatting about how beautiful the play was on their way back to Eli’s car. Once inside, the blonde asked, “where should we go now?”

“I know, I know! There’s a festival today in Otonokizaka High! We should check it out nya!”, Rin excitedly said.

“Oh right! Today’s the Halloween Festival! Cocoa told me her class is doing some kind of game!” Nico beamed.

“H-Halloween?” Eli looked uneasy.

“Why not? I’m sure it’ll be fun!”, Nozomi said.

“O-Of course, let’s go!” The blonde started to drive. _For you…_

“Heh” Nico smirked at Eli who purposely ignored her and just focused on driving.

They arrived at Otonokizaka High School. A feeling of nostalgia came to them when they saw their former school. They stared at it in awe until someone noticed and approached them.

“Do you miss here?”, she asked. They turned and found Kotori’s mother - Principal Minami - smiling at them.

“Oh, Principal, good afternoon”, Eli greeted with a small bow. The other three followed.

“Good afternoon girls.” She smiled again. “Here for the festival?”

“Yes! I’m glad you’re still doing it until now Ma’am!”, Rin answered.

“Of course, it became a tradition ever since you started it when you were Student Council President, Rin-san. It was thanks to you, Hanayo-san, and Maki-san, that we’re able to enjoy Halloween here every year.”

Rin blushed at the statement. “I-It was nothing nya! I’m happy to know that the students are enjoying!”

Nozomi chuckled. “What a great President you were Rin-chan! Honoka-chan was right to recommend you to be the next one!”

“E-Eh?” The orange-haired’s face became redder than it already was. “But I c-could never compare to Eli-chan and Honoka-chan nya!”

“You three were great Presidents.” Principal Minami tapped Rin’s shoulder. “Anyway, I need to get going now, have fun girls!” With that, she left.

“L-Let’s go check out the stalls nya!” Rin led the way to the stalls.

Their first stop was a Halloween-themed maid café. The food was designed to be creepy, but still edible. There was even spaghetti with meatballs that were made to look like eyeballs.

They then went to a photo booth, where there were different costumes.

Nozomi picked a headband with devil horns on it and showed it to Nico.

“Nicochi, you should wear this!”

“Eh? No way! I’m wearing this cute cat ears with Rin. You should wear that. And match it with these black wings.” Nico handed her the wings.

They positioned herself in front of the camera. Nico insisted that she and Rin should be on each side because their looks matched and so Eli and Nozomi were on the middle.

Nozomi was wearing the headband with horns and the black wings while Eli wore an angel’s halo and wings. When Nozomi realized this, she looked at Nico who gave her an I-didn’t-know-anything look. The purple haired just sighed and posed for the picture.

“Lovely devil, you’re so beautiful that I might want to come down from the heavens and become one too”, Eli told her once the photo was done and they were on their way to put the costumes back in the box.

“T-Thanks?” Nozomi smiled awkwardly before turning around quickly.

After taking their printed photos, Rin led them to a horror house.

“We shouldn’t miss this nya!”

“B-But Rin-”

“C’mon Eli-chan! This is the main attraction here nya!”

“Don’t be such a coward Eli! Let’s go!” Nico smirked.

“I-I’m not a coward! Fine, let’s go!” The blonde was so flustered that she didn’t notice the pair of worried green orbs.

They paid and entered the horror house together. Nico and Rin, being the most excited ones, led the way.

Eli closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm herself. _I can get through this. I can get through this._

She opened her eyes. She can see Nico and Rin’s backs in front of her. If she just focus on their backs, she can pass by the horror house without any trouble.

But of course that’s not what happened.

She suddenly lost sight of the two when someone grabbed her shirt. Nico and Rin immediately ran off when they heard her scream. She shut her eyes.  _Oh God Oh God Oh God._ She clung on to the nearest thing that she could feel. It was Nozomi’s hand. Not realizing whose hand it was, she held onto it tightly. Nozomi led her on the way out. Scared, she almost retreated her hand but the person’s hand was so gentle and it made her feel secured. 

Once she felt that they were outside, the hand holding hers – or rather, the hand she was holding - let her go and she opened her eyes. For a second, she was blinded by the sudden light. But that was until she saw the beauty that was brighter than the lights. Nozomi was catching her breath, with beads of sweat forming on her red face. For a moment, it was just the two of them for the blonde. Until she heard a loud,

“That was fun nya!” Hearing Rin’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“We should go again!” Nico showed up too.

“N-No way!”, the blonde said.

Nico laughed. “You still haven’t overcame your fear?”

“Eli-chan’s still scared nya!”

“H-Hey! It was because you two suddenly ran off! You left us behind!”, Eli defended.

 “It was because you suddenly screamed nya!”

“How about you Nozomi? Did you have fun?” Nico turned to her best friend.

“Eh? Ah, yes, I did Nicochi!” The purple haired smiled.

“That’s good!”

“If we’re not going in again, where should we go now nya?”

“Let’s go to Cocoa’s class!”, Nico suggested.

“Oh let’s go nya! The second years’ rooms are this way nya!” Rin once again led the way.

When they got there, they immediately caught sight of Cocoa.

“Cocoa!”, Nico called.

The younger girl turned to them. “Oh, onee-chan!” She approached them.

“Hello Cocoa-chan!”, Nozomi greeted.

“Hello Nozomi-onee-chan!” She hugged her.

Eli raised an eyebrow slightly. _Onee-chan? I don’t remember Cocoa calling her that…_

“Rin-san too! And… Ayase-san? Good evening!” The girl grinned.

_Ayase-san? I guess it’s not so weird. We haven’t seen each other for the past five years too…_

“Evening, Cocoa,” Eli smiled.

“Cocoa-chaaan!” Rin hugged the girl. “How’s school nya?”

“Everything is good! And I’ll be the next Student Council Vice President!” She gave them a peace sign.

“That’s great! I wish you good luck!” Nozomi smiled.

“Thanks, Nozomi-onee-chan!”

“So, is  _she_ going to be your president?” The purple-haired smiled mischievously.

“W-Who?” Cocoa’s face had a tinge of red.

“Y’know. That girl you’re always talking about. Your...  _crush”,_ Nozomi teased.

The younger girl’s face turned redder and redder.

Nico was surprised. “What!? Cocoa, who’s that? And why does Nozomi know and I don’t!? Who’s your sister here!?”

“N-N-Nothing! Nozomi-onee-chan’s just joking! I don’t like her! I h-hate her!”, The girl defended.

“You sound just like Nico-chan when she’s asked about Maki-chan nya!” Rin laughed, followed by Nozomi.

“What!?” It was Nico’s turn to blush.

Eli giggled. “They  _are_ sisters.”

“A-Anyway, yes she’s going to be my president but I don’t like her, okay!?”

Nozomi resisted the urge to still tease Cocoa again for calling the girl  _her_ president.

“You’re still going to tell me about that girl when we get home alright?”, Nico told her sister.

Cocoa just gave a nod of defeat and received an apologetic smile from the purple-haired.

“Cocoa-chan, what’s your class doing nya?” Rin changed the topic.

“Oh, we’re having a zombie-killing game!”, the girl replied. “You should all play! We have lots of cute prizes for the winners!”

“Let’s try it out nya!”

“That sounds fun!” Nico beamed.

“Sure”, Eli said. She noticed Nozomi looking at a particular stuffed raccoon at the Prizes Corner. There was this spark in her eyes that made Eli’s heart flutter.  _Cute._

Before playing, Eli whispered to Cocoa, “how many zombies do I need to kill to get that raccoon?”

The younger girl looked at the raccoon then turned back to Eli. “60 points, so at least 20 zombies”

They started playing. They were all fired up but Nico kept on losing after just three minutes of playing.

In the end, Nico only got two keychains, Rin got a kind of big stuffed riceball, Nozomi a small stuffed panda, and to her joy, Eli got the stuffed raccoon.

“I’m gonna give this to Kayo-chin nya!” Rin beamed.

Nico sighed. _Maybe I’ll give one to Maki-chan…_

Nozomi sat and remained silent. It wasn’t that she was disappointed with what she got; in fact, the panda was cute.

“Would this fair maiden accept what I have to offer?”

Nozomi looked up and found Eli presenting her that cute stuffed raccoon with a smile.

“You will really give this to me?” As much as she wanted to reject the offer, the raccoon was like calling her to accept it.

“I’ll give anything for you”, the blonde said in the gentlest voice she had.

“T-Thank you.” She accepted the raccoon and returned her smile.

Nico saw this and had a smile on her own.

After that, Cocoa accompanied them in checking out the other stalls. They played, ate dinner, and had their photos taken.

“I’ll give you all a ride home”, Eli offered once they got back in her car, Cocoa included.

“Y-You can just drop me off at the studio. I’ll take a train from there”, Nozomi said.

“It’s already late. I should drive you home”

“Just accept it Nozomi, it’s already dangerous out there y’know”, Nico said.

The purple haired sighed. “Fine…”

Since the Yazawas’ home was the nearest to the school, they were the first ones that Eli dropped off.

“Thanks for the ride Ayase-san! Bye bye, Nozomi-onee-chan! Rin-san!” Cocoa said before going in first.

“Thanks for today girls. Take care.” Nico smiled at them and waited for the car to go before going in herself.

Rin was the next to go home.

“Bye bye! Take care nya!” and she went in.

 

“Do you still live there?”, Eli asked.

“Yes”, Nozomi softly answered.

Silence enveloped them the whole ride. When they arrived, Eli asked, “may I… come in?”

Nozomi just nodded and went in. She held the door open for the blonde.

Eli took in the sight before her. It had been five years since she last went there. The set up was different, yet everything was familiar. The familiarity of it all made her want to tear up. She didn’t realize how badly she missed the warm feeling in that place.

“Do you want tea?” Nozomi asked.

“Ah yes, thank you”

The purple haired went to the kitchen and she followed.

“You’re not using your pig kettle anymore?”, Eli asked when she saw the hamster-designed kettle.

“No, it broke years ago. Please don’t think everything’s still the same way as back then.” Nozomi gave her a smile.

Her heart ached at Nozomi’s words and expression. “I… see. Sorry”, she said sheepishly.

The place was quiet until the kettle whistled.

Nozomi prepared their tea and they went back to the living room with it. 

They sat across each other in heavy silence.

Eli’s heart was pounding; she was nervous. She breathed deeply.

“So, how’s your business doing?”, she casually asked.

“It’s going good. We’re hiring a new staff or two”, Nozomi answered.

“I see. That’s great, isn’t it?” Eli sipped her tea and smiled in delight at the taste.

“Yeah.”

“How about Nico? Do you think she and Maki a–” She was interrupted by Nozomi.

“Just get to the point already. What are you trying to accomplish in coming here?”

“Nozomi…” 

Nozomi didn’t say anything.

Eli sighed. “I just… I know this won’t make it hurt any less but… I want you to know that I’m really sorry for everything…” Blue eyes looked down in sadness and guilt.

“I’ve already heard that countless times. The past is in the past. Just forget everything”, Nozomi replied emotionlessly.

“No, Nozomi, I want to make this right.” She looked at her with pleading eyes. 

“Nothing’s been right since that day.” Nozomi held her teacup tightly to prevent herself from trembling.

“I know… That’s why I’m here again. I’m not asking you to be with me again Nozomi. We can start all over again. We can be friends again… Get to know each other..?” She gave her a sad smile.

“What for? You’ll just play with me again, won’t you?” Nozomi placed her teacup on the small table beside her.

“I didn’t–” She stopped when she saw her looking directly at her. “I won’t”, she continued. “If you just give me one last chance, I’ll prove to you that I’ve changed. And if I fail then I won’t bother you again. I’ll go away. I promise you. Can’t you just trust me again..?” Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes.

Nozomi looked down and didn’t answer.

“Nozomi..?”

“I don’t know.” The purple-haired looked at her. “I don’t know anymore! I don’t know if I can trust you again! I don’t know if I can trust  _anyone_ again! I’m tired. I’m tired of being lied on. I’m tired of having false hopes! Of hoping that I can be happy, of hoping that everything’s alright and then having that hope be crushed! I was already fine by my own. I was already doing just fine without you. But you just have to go and ruin the happiness that I was already starting to have! Why did you have to come back Elichi..?” Tears fell from Nozomi’s eyes as she smiled at her – tears that she forbade herself to shed for the past five years. It was the first time that she let out the pain of being left behind. The first time she let herself be vulnerable around her or anyone. All the pain and sorrow came back to her.

Eli couldn’t stand it anymore, so she stood up and enveloped her in her arms, not wanting to let go again.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She, too, let her tears fall down. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

“And how can I trust you again if you once loved someone than me…”

Another painful memory came back to Nozomi.

_Yes, I’ll see you at 5 then. Don’t worry, she knows my class is until 8._

_._

_Nozomi, I don’t want to lie to you anymore_

_I’m seeing someone else_

_And I don’t know if I still love you_

_I’m sorry but..._

_Goodbye, Nozomi._

That was her third heartbreak.

Nozomi trembled.

Eli’s eyes widened. “I didn’t love her, Nozomi. Believe me.” She held her tighter but still gently. “You are the only one for me right? I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t… know. I don’t know anymore… I just want to… be happy...” Nozomi continued to cry but offered no resistance to Eli’s embrace.

“Shhh… I’m here, Nozomi. I’m here. I won’t hurt you again… I promise… I love you, Nozomi…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! What do you think about this chapter? Lovelots! <3


	18. A Different Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day!
> 
> First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone who's been looking forward to the updates of this fic for the sudden 4-month hiatus. I experienced a lot of problems regarding myself and life in general. There were many activities in school too so I had to stop writing for a while. However, our school year will be ending in two weeks so I can finally write and update regularly. Again, I'm sorry and thank you very much for understanding.
> 
> Here's a quick summary of the past chapters to help you remember it:  
> After the revelation that Hiro-kun is actually Nozomi's younger brother, he went back abroad for work. Eli then asked Nozomi if they could hang out with Rin and Nico. They watched a musical play starring Hanamaru and went to Otonoki where they met Cocoa. After, Eli drove them all home, and Nozomi was the last. They talked inside her apartment and Eli asked for another chance to be her friend again. Nozomi broke down, saying she didn't know. She also remembered the time back when they're still dating when Eli "loved" and "saw" someone other than her. Eli denied that she loved "her" and said that Nozomi's the only one for her.
> 
> So, without further ado, I present to you the 18th chapter of Catch My Dreams! May you all enjoy reading! <3

After Eli dropped us off our house, I thanked them and said goodbye. Though I waited for her car to be out of my view before entering.  
  
Cotarou was sitting on the couch watching something about animals on the TV. He nodded at me as a greeting and I asked him why he was still awake.  
  
"Waiting for you" was the answer he gave as he yawned and turned the TV off. I smiled. _How cute._

I asked where our sisters were, and he told me that Cocoa’s already in the bath and Cocoro’s studying at her room. He stood up and I kissed his forehead before saying good night. I raised an eyebrow. God! When did he grow _so_ tall? He’s already taller than me and he’s _only_ 12!  
  
He just nodded and proceeded to his room.  
  
After checking on Cocoro and telling her not to stay up too late, I put my things down. I sat on the couch and realized how tired I am. I sighed contently. It may be a tiring day, but it sure was worth it.  
  
I turned the TV on and watched some idol shows while waiting for Cocoa to finish her bath, so I could go too.  
  
After what felt like forever ( _just how long does that girl take a bath!?_ ), Cocoa finally got out.  
  
"What took you so long Cocoa?", I asked as I stood up.  
  
"I... might have... slept in the tub..?", she said sheepishly. _Oh, so that’s why_.  
  
"Geez Cocoa you should be careful not to sleep there, okay?", I told her.  
  
"Yes, yes, I’m sorry!" She was about to turn and go to her room when I remembered something.  
  
"Wait!" I stopped her.  
  
She looked at me questioningly.  
  
"Don’t think I forgot about _that_ girl. You’re still telling me about her tomorrow okay?" I raised an eyebrow.  
  
Her face immediately turned red at the mention of that girl. So she _really_ has something for her, huh? But they’re still way too young for that!  
  
"I already told you! I! Don’t! Like! Her! Nozomi-onee-chan was just teasing me!"  
  
"Really? Denying won’t get you anywhere you know" _I learned that the hard way..._  
  
"Okay, maybe I _do_ like her... a little! It’s just a little! Anyway we’ll talk about it tomorrow onee-chan!" And she dashed to her room. _Oh kids..._  
  
So I was finally able to take a warm soothing bath, and here I am now, lying comfortably on my bed. For some reasons, I don’t feel so sleepy anymore.

Thinking back at what happened today, it really was fun. We weren’t complete, but I am happy. I hope they are too. It’s been a while since I last went to Otonoki with them. My heart felt warm the moment we stepped foot there. Memories with them - both happy and sad - came flashing back to me. I wanted to tear up that time. I bet they did too. So I was thankful that Principal Minami decided to show up then. I wouldn’t want to cry unattractively in such a public place y’know? Hmm, but then again, when did this cute Nico Nii ever become ugly? Oh well.  
  
Anyway, with today’s happenings, again, I am happy. It’s not everyday that you get some time with your friends y’know? We certainly had fun. Though there may be some tension between Nozomi and Eli earlier. I can’t blame them though, can I? That was like, their first time to meet with a relaxed purpose after they broke up. It’s been five years, huh?  
  
You know, eight years ago, if anyone told me that they would break up permanently, I would laugh at that person and tell them to stop kidding me. But yeah, I guess things just won’t go the way we expect them to.  
  
If you're a stranger or just a friend of theirs, their relationship would look perfect in your eyes. They loved each other deeply, no doubt about that. They respected and gave each other some space if they needed to. They were affectionate towards one another. Like, _so much_. Looks perfect, right? But as their best friend, or at least Nozomi’s, I knew there’s much more than that.

Both of them had trust issues. Eli’s was mostly on herself. I knew she had some insecurities, who doesn’t? Nozomi, on the other hand, hers most likely was because of her parents and childhood. Her parents always promised her that they would stay on one place together. They always promised her that they would quit their jobs and find ones that would not require them to move from place to place. They promised, but they would also get great job offerings and opportunities after, that they were unable to quit their jobs. It was when Nozomi had had enough of that that she decided to convince them to let her live alone and stay at Otonoki.

They were both emotionally unstable, but that wasn’t so bad. It was because of that that they became pillars of support for each other. They understood each other, and so their bonds strengthened. I was happy for them when they told us that they were finally together. It took them like, _three_ years, to get to that point.

There were ups and downs on their relationship and I was always there to support them. But it _really_ pissed me off every time Eli broke up with her because of some petty reasons. Like, _really?_ Leaving her just because your parents said _no_ to your relationship? _Stupid_. But I guess I can't really judge her. I don’t know her full side after all.

Every time that happened, especially the last one, Nozomi was left devastated. She wouldn’t really show it, always putting up strong fronts. But I know it. It hurt her a lot because Eli was the _sunshine_ of her life. She kept her strong and wanting to live.

The first months after they broke up for real, Nozomi would sometimes talk as if they're still together. But then she would remember and have this look on her face that screamed pain and sorrow. Then she would laugh bitterly and sheepishly say "Oh, I forgot we’re already done. Sorry!". I could only give her a smile of my own.

I knew Eli was shattered too, Maki-chan told me about it. But we lost communication a few months after they broke up, and I didn’t hear anything from them since.

So back to Nozomi, she was still on the process of moving on when her parents died a year after. It broke my heart seeing her so wrecked. She didn’t know what to do anymore. Neither did I. So I just stayed by her side the whole time. I knew it won’t make it hurt any less for her, but I wanted to help her. She wouldn’t cry openly in my arms and I didn’t push her to. I was just there for her. But of course, I wasn’t enough. I was tempted to look for Eli because I know she had a chance to console her. But I resisted. It wouldn’t be good for Nozomi because she would hope that Eli’s going back with her, and chances were, she wouldn’t, and she didn’t love her anymore.

So I was glad that Kohiro was there. As siblings, they leaned on each other. Even though they were separated their whole lives, they loved each other immediately. I guess blood really is thicker than water. They understood each other because they felt the same pain of losing their parents. I was proud at Kohiro for being strong for her sister, given that he’s younger.

After their parents died, Kohiro moved into Nozomi’s apartment as per their parents’ last will. I knew it was awkward for them at first, but they quickly adjusted. Kohiro made her happy again. He was stubborn, yes, but he was just as sweet and caring as Nozomi was.

Through those five years, I knew that somewhere in Nozomi’s heart, there’s still Eli. It may be true that she had moved on, and stopped dwelling on their past, but she still has love for her. Nozomi just has a big heart for everyone, y’know? No matter how much she denies it, she still cares for her.

In the same way though, even after five years, I feel like her heart is not fully healed yet. It still has broken fragments that are yet to be completed.

When Eli showed up again months ago, I saw it in her eyes. But she masked it. She didn’t want to show it to anyone, so she just dealt with it professionally. It was business after all. Eli came for business, _not_ for her.

Nozomi worked too hard since they broke up. She was on her limits, but she pushed on and on. We both knew it was unhealthy, but she didn’t stop. She felt like she needed to work so hard. And I blamed Eli for that. It was for work that she left her. There may be other reasons but that doesn’t change the fact that it was _that_ that made Nozomi the way she is now.

I couldn’t stand it anymore - seeing her working non-stop and suffering. So, I gave up on my dream to become an idol for her. It was a tough decision for me to make. I was already starting to take on auditions when it all happened.  I loved - and still do - singing and dancing for people and making them smile.

My sisters had that look of disbelief when I told them what I was planning to do. I couldn’t blame them. That dream of mine was theirs too. It was our dream - to make people happy. But I told them, what good am I if I can make other people smile but not my own best friend? I realized that loved ones are more important than career. I could still make people smile in other ways, being an idol is not the only one. They soon understood me and gave their support too.

So I helped Nozomi open the studio. Taking photos of families and friends with each other and seeing them smile at the camera made me happy too.

After some time my sisters also asked me, if I ever regretted my decision. To be completely honest, I still miss performing. But seeing my best friend being successful, and being with her in every step of the way, makes me feel that I did the right thing. With that, I can never say that I regret giving up on being an idol.

Seeing Nozomi pushing herself too hard was also part of the reason why I disagreed so bad when Eli confessed to us that she wants to be with her again. I was just glad that I had Umi and Rin agree with me. Five years of pain and suffering is enough for Nozomi. We just want her to be happy again.

But I guess I got ahead of myself too, and put my own feelings into it.

Anyway, as I was saying, I know there’s still love. And as I promised, I won’t do anything to get in the way of Eli. That’s why I convinced Nozomi to accept Eli’s invitation for today.

Eli was being extra flirty today. Like, waaay too flirty. I think Nozomi was uneasy most of the time when she’s flirting. What the heck was that _angel-coming-down-from-heaven_ thing anyway? But in the end, I think things are good and all. There’s no need for me to interfere.

As far as I know, Rin’s house is nearer from here than Nozomi’s. It’s pretty late now so I think Nozomi’s already home. I wonder if they talked about _things_ while Eli was driving her home. If they did though, there are only two things that might happen to Nozomi’s heart.

_It will begin to heal, or it will shatter more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> What do you guys think of this chapter?
> 
> Talk to me on Twitter or Tumblr @eSerenityyyy to complain that I'm slow in writing :v
> 
> Also, I'd like to greet Hanamaru a happy happy birthday! <3
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	19. Friends

Nozomi yawned as she stretched her arms high. She just woke up, but she was already feeling tired.

It had been a week since she last saw Eli and she'd been restless since. Thoughts of that night kept clouding her mind every night, preventing her to sleep comfortably. Last night was not an exception. She, at most, only had four hours of sleep.

She stood up and prepared her morning coffee. She wondered when she started drinking coffee. She used to drink tea since she was a child. Then she remembered - it was when she started to take double courses in college. One course was enough reason for sleepless and full of coffee nights, so what more if you took two?

She sighed.

After drinking her coffee, she took a bath and prepared her things - a small bag, with just her phone and wallet, together with a foldable umbrella.

It was Sunday, and the studio would be open for half of the day.

The studio wasn’t her destination though. She called Nico the night before to say that she would take the day off. Nico didn’t ask anymore for she was just glad that Nozomi, for once, took a day off voluntarily.

Nozomi took a deep breath and opened the door of her apartment. Unsurprisingly, she found a white rose with a card on it on the floor. Her name was the only thing on the card as usual, and it was neatly handwritten. She took it and placed it on her vase before going back out. By now, she already had her vase full of white roses.

It was a short train ride.

She was carrying a small basket of flowers - which she got from a nearby flower shop. The place was big but her feet memorized where they were. Moments after, she arrived.

“Good morning, Mama”, she greeted, “good morning, Papa”. She gave them a smile and placed the basket near them.

“It’s been a while, huh?”, she said as she sat beside them.

“Hiro-kun came back to the Philippines about a month ago... He’s alright there, don’t worry. I always make sure he has his medicines. Oh, before he came back there though, he did something naughty. Maybe you can scold him for me?” She giggled.

“As for the studio, it’s going really well. We’re open for hiring right now... ” She looked up.

“I think Nicochi and Maki-chan are dating again, or at least they’re getting to that... It’s what my cards say...” She turned back to them.

“I feel kind of jealous... All of my friends seem to be happy...”

“Oh, but it’s not like I’m that sad. Business is going well for me and that’s... a good thing, right?”

“It’s just that... Remember when I told you Elichi came back? Hiro-kun was with me when I told you that. It was for work, right? She’s our client...”

“But last week... she invited me, Nicochi, and Rin-chan out. We just watched a musical play and then went to Otonoki’s Halloween festival... It was fun, really. It’s been some time when I last went there with them...”

“Though after that... Elichi drove us home and... she went inside our apartment. And she...”

“Well, she just... asked me for another chance... but she said we can start all over again and be friends first...”

“I didn’t know what to say, Mama... I don’t know if I should give her another chance... after five years...”

Tears started to form on the corners of Nozomi’s eyes. She clutched her bag close to her and placed her head on top of it.

“You know, Mama, Papa, after being with her at work for the past few months... and with last week’s happenings... I’ve realized that I _may_ still... love her after all...”

“I don't know, I'm not even sure what  _love_ feels like anymore... It's been so long that I already forgot...”

“That's why... I’m scared. I’m scared to trust again... What if she leaves me again? I don’t know if I can still take it...”

“Her business is growing big... Our lives are getting busier and busier... What if she decides to end us again because of that? I don’t want that to happen...”

A single tear dropped from her left eye as she remembered what led to her five year heartbreak.

 

_I just don’t want you to suffer more, Nozomi._  
_I don’t want to hurt you everyday._  
_Once I open my shop I won’t have time for you anymore..._  
_I already lost time for you while I was making all the preparations,_  
_What more when it’s open?_

> _I can help you with the shop and you won’t have to do everything by yourself!_  
>  _Please, Elichi, don’t do this..._  

 

Nozomi Toujou was in tears, desperately fighting for the one that she loved the most.

  

> _We already went through many of this..._  
>  _I’m sure we can manage and make it work..._

_I don’t know anymore, Nozomi..._  
_This won’t work..._  
_You need to focus on finishing your course, not on helping me..._  

> _But Elichi you said we’ll make it work!_

_I’m sorry Nozomi, maybe this really just isn’t for us..._

> _You promised me! You said we’ll make it through anything!_

_We can’t really do anything now._  
_This isn’t working._  
_Goodbye, Nozomi._

 

And there stood the girl with silky violet hair and alluring green eyes, frozen and void of her usual jolly expression. She just had her fourth heartbreak in three years, and was left alone in their home, devastated. Her heart was crying in agony, her body felt numb. What did she do to experience this heart-rending pain? She just gave all her love the way she knew how. Was it still not enough? Was _she_ not enough?

 

Tears were falling non-stop from Nozomi’s eyes, but she made no effort to stop nor wipe it.

“What should I do, Mama? Papa? Just being in the same place with her pains me... ”

“Should I risk everything again?”

She buried her face on her bag.

“I wish you’re here to embrace me...”

She yearned for warmth and love.

Suddenly, a warm breeze engulfed her, as if comforting her and telling her what to do and that everything would be alright. This made her smile, thinking of her parents’ faces. She looked up and then at them.

“Thanks, Mama. Thanks, Papa.” She wiped her face with her sleeves.

“You two are the best.” She smiled at them genuinely.

“Maybe I should call Hiro-kun...”, she said as she took her cellphone out of her bag and dialed her brother’s number.

It only took two rings for him to answer.

**Hello, Nozo-nee? What’s up?**

“Hi Hiro-kun...”

**Hmm? Were you crying? What happened?**

“I’m here at Mama and Papa’s grave... They wanted to talk to you.” She turned her cellphone towards their names.

**Eh? Oh! Hi Mama! Pops! How ya doin’? I’m doing good here! _Achoo!_ Just got a bit of colds. Hehe**

Nozomi giggled and placed her cellphone back on her ear.

“Are you drinking your meds alright?”, she asked.

**Of course! But you know me Nozo-nee, my colds seems to be all year round, so don’t worry too much about me, okay? So, tell me, did something happen?**

“It’s... about Elichi...” She looked up.

**What? Did she do something bad to you again?**

“Ah no, no. It’s just that... she finally asked me last week for another chance... and I don’t know what to do. I’m scared, but I think... I still love her...” She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from crying again.

**I... see. Listen, Nozo-nee....**

 

...

 

“Thanks, Hiro-kun. I’m feeling better now.” She wiped the tears that she inevitably shed.

**Anything for you, Nozo-nee. Just call me if something’s bothering you again, okay?**

“Yes, yes. Well, I need to go now. I’ll have some _me time_ for the rest of the day. Take care, alright? Love you!” She arranged her things, preparing to leave.

**Of course! And it’s good that you’ll give some time to yourself. I’m happy for you, Nozo-nee. Take care too! I love you too!**

“Bye bye!”

**Bye bye!**

With that, she ended the call and turned back to their parents.

“I think it’s time for me to leave, Mama, Papa. Thank you again. I love you both so much.” She stood up and looked at them for a while. She breathed deeply, smiled at them, and left.

Her chest felt lighter than it did when she came to them. Talking to her parents really eased her out and they were a big help.

She ate lunch at Yousoro, where she met the owner, You Watanabe. You recognized her and told her that she was a fan of Muse. They chatted for a while, and she learned that the younger girl was still studying Culinary. She was able to open a restaurant with the help of her parents and friends. Nozomi also learned that those friends were Hanamaru Kunikida and the rest of their idol group, Aqours. You told her that Aqours still sang at some events and they were still close to each other even though they already lived separate lives. Nozomi was somewhat jealous of that and thought that maybe she would like to sing with Muse again.

After eating lunch, she went to an arcade and played air hockey with some kids. The kids never beat her though. It seemed like she was still good at the game even though it had been a long time since she last played it.

Her next destination was the park. She strolled there, relishing the fresh air. She also met Tsubasa’s younger brother again, Takeshi. He was still trying to jump over the puddle of water. After a few tries, at last, he successfully made it. Nozomi clapped her hands and was truly proud of the young boy. Takeshi never lost determination and was willing to risk getting hurt, if it means achieving what he wanted. She gave him a smile which he returned with a hug.

She didn’t stay long at the park, and headed to the last place - the shrine. She wanted to thank the gods for clearing the uneasiness in her mind. She wanted to ask for guidance and courage. She walked up the stairs slowly, enjoying the calm aura surrounding the area. She arrived at the top of the stairs, and turned to the shrine. What she didn’t expect though, was to see the person occupying her mind the past week. There, she saw Eli, in a white shirt and gray cardigan. She was praying intently, and didn’t notice Nozomi approach her.

When she was done praying, Eli turned around and was surprised to see Nozomi with a small smile on her face.

“Hi”, Nozomi greeted.

“O-Oh, hi. I didn’t notice you’re there. Are you here to pray? Go on, I’m done.” She stepped aside to give her space.

“Ah yes, thank you. Um, can we... talk after? I’ll be quick”, the purple haired asked.

“O-Of course, of course. Take your time, I’ll wait here.” She smiled at her and went to the side.

Nozomi turned and started praying. After, she looked back to Eli.

She moved towards her and said, “I’m sorry for the trouble. Am I not bothering you?”

“Absolutely not. I’m free today.” Eli smiled. “Do you want to go to the cafe? Parfaits? Oh! Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself, do you just want to tell me something or..?”, she asked sheepishly.

“It’s okay. Can we take a walk to Otonoki?”, Nozomi requested.

“That’s fine by me. Let’s go then?”

They walked in silence, keeping a safe distance from each other. Nozomi was leading the way while Eli followed her. Eli’s heart was thumping hard, she was feeling nervous. _What did Nozomi have to talk about? Would she tell her to go away from her? Or would she...._ The blonde breathed deeply to calm herself down, but it’s doing a little of its job.

They made it to the gates of Otonokizaka High School. Once again, they stared at it in awe, keeping their silence.

Nozomi was the one who broke it.

“Can we go through the corridors?”, she asked.

Eli was taken out of her trance, and answered, “wherever you want to go to.” She gave her a smile.

“Thank you. Let’s go?”

Eli nodded and was led again by Nozomi to the building. They first went through the corridor of the first years’ rooms, keeping their pace slow. It was kind of awkward for Eli, not knowing what to expect in this chance encounter. When they were approaching the staircase, Nozomi stopped and asked,

“Do you still remember this?” She pointed to the stairs.

Eli looked at what she was pointing and nodded. “This is where I first knew you.” Her heart warmed at the memory.

“That’s right”, Nozomi affirmed. “You were such a cold girl then, not accepting other girls’ invitations.”

Eli blushed at the statement. She was embarrassed to hear how she acted back then. “Y-Yeah.”

Nozomi smiled an unseen smile and started walking again without another word. Eli followed.

They continued their walk quietly. Eli looked around while memories came into her mind. She was feeling nostalgic, being in the place where she spent three years of her life in.

“This room,” Nozomi suddenly spoke, making Eli stop in her tracks, “is our room when we were third years. This is where we joined Muse.”

Eli turned to the said room and smiled. _This is the room where I realized I’m in love with you_ , she thought. “I was full of tears then... I’m really grateful to have become a part of Muse...”

“A crybaby, you were”, Nozomi said, making Eli blush in embarrassment again. “And over there,” the purple haired pointed to another room. “Is the Idol Research Club Room.”

“Ah, yes... That’s where we planned everything...”, Eli said.

“Let’s go to the rooftop”, Nozomi suggested.

Eli nodded. They went to the rooftop, and noticed that the sun was setting. The sky had shades of pink and orange.

“What a beautiful scenery...” This time, Eli was the one who broke the silence. “Y-You’re more beautiful though.”

Nozomi chuckled, making Eli’s heart nearly skip a beat. Oh how she missed making her laugh...

“This is the place with the most memories with them.” Nozomi turned to the empty area.

“I sometimes wish we could go back to those times...”, Eli admitted.

Nozomi breathed deeply, and gave her a small smile. “There’s one last place I want to go to.”

“Where?”, Eli asked.

“Follow me.”

Moments after, they were facing an all too familiar brown wooden door. Nozomi took out a key from her pocket and opened the door.

They stepped inside and their eyes wandered around the room, taking it in.

“The Student Council Room...”, Eli said and turned the lights on.

“Yes, this is the room where we made the most memories together.” Nozomi looked at her before taking the same seat she used to sit on years ago. _This is where I named the feeling I had for you - love._

Eli did the same, taking her seat. “How nostalgic... Wait, you still have the key?” Her brows raised questioningly.

“Of course. This is my favorite room, after all”, Nozomi answered.

They were again enveloped with heavy silence.

Nozomi, once more, took a deep breath and started talking, startling Eli. “These past five years, I’ve constantly been in pain.”

Eli looked at her and chose to remain quiet.

Nozomi continued, “I lived in nothing but pain. You left me devastated. I tried my best to be strong. I fooled myself. I told myself I don’t need you anymore. I told myself I can go on without you. I told myself I can live alone. That’s just how I lived almost all of my life, after all. What’s new in being alone?"

The blonde looked down and bit her lip.

"Sometimes though, I thought, why should I still live? Until I met Hiro-kun and our parents died. I was crushed yet again, but I was tasked to take care of him. It was just the two of us in our family. So I tried my best to be the best sister that he never had before we met. He gave me a new purpose to live. But it still wasn’t enough for me to forget you. Thinking about it now, how could I even forget the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, who made me feel loved since our first year in high school?” She chuckled. “It’s just a shame that the same girl was the one who broke my heart a couple of times...” She gave her a small, sad smile. Tears were threatening to fall down from her eyes, but she prevented it.

Eli opened her mouth to say something but Nozomi beat her into it.

“During those five years, I wondered where we went wrong. I mean, I loved you _so_ much, and you told me you loved me too. We were happy with each other, weren’t we? We accepted each other’s flaws, and worked together to improve ourselves. Even if we made mistakes, we made effort to correct them.

I was always ready to forgive and accept you again, Elichi. That’s why I never left you, even when you saw someone else... I understood you. I understood that she listened to you more than I did. Maybe she even understood you more than I did. Sure, we made up after that, but the pain was still there. I was disappointed at myself. I thought I was paying enough attention to your worries. I never thought your insecurities were getting to you so much. Now, I understand why you still decided to leave me when you said you loved me the most. I understand why we had to part ways after three years of being together... It’s that, isn’t it? I’m sorry for being oblivious of your feelings. I’m sorry for not noticing. I’m so sorry, Elichi.” She bowed her head, not wanting Eli to see her now flowing tears. She was feeling kind of relieved, being able to let out all her thoughts and feelings to Eli after five whole years.

Eli placed her hand on top of Nozomi’s.

“No, Nozomi. _I’m_ very sorry for not telling you anything. I’m sorry for looking for comfort from others. It’s just that, I felt like you were too good to be with a dumb girl like me... But I swear, I didn’t love that girl even a little bit. We didn’t even do anything like kissing, and... stuff. She couldn’t possibly compare to you, Nozomi. I’m sorry if you thought you weren’t enough for me. You’re more than I could wish for, actually. That’s why it was hard to believe that someone like you would like to spend their life with me...” Eli remembered all the times when she felt unsure of their relationship. She often wondered if she was just dreaming whenever they were together. Nozomi was just too bright for her, she thought.

Nozomi was still unable to say anything.

Eli took a deep breath and continued, “But I think, I think I’m better now. Years without you made me realize just how stupid I was to leave you. I used those years to fix myself; to learn to overcome my fears and insecurities. Running my business and meeting a lot of new people made me more confident about myself. I think I’m becoming the person that you deserve, Nozomi. A better person for a goddess like you...” She gently squeezed her hand, successfully making her look back up. “But of course, that’s if you still want to be friends...” She gave her an unsure smile. She hoped this conversation would lead them to a fresh new start.

“You know”, Nozomi said as she wiped her tears away. “I went to visit my parents earlier... I told them how scared I am right now... I’m scared to be with you again because I’m so tired of being hurt...I didn’t know if I could trust you again... But then, they’ve made me realize why I was able to be happy with you years ago. I was willing to take the risks of being in love with you. If I just take the risks again, and trust you, maybe, maybe, we can finally be happy together... Back then, Papa would always say that as long as I believe I will be happy, then it’s fine to take the risks...

These past few months, whenever I read my own fortune, I’ve always pulled the Lovers card... But I didn’t know if I should follow them. They may be wrong again. They may just give me false hopes.”

Eli just listened intently, understanding every word that came out of Nozomi’s mouth. She was glad that she’s finally opening up to her.

“Our friends...”, Nozomi continued, “I know they want us to be happy again. Especially Nicochi, she may be overprotective, but I understand she just doesn’t want me to be hurt. You know, I’m really grateful to her. She stayed by my side those five years. She bore with me. She even abandoned her dream for me even though I was against it; and I’m feeling really guilty for it. Like, is it even worth it to give up her dream just for me? I know how she loves performing. And it’s her siblings’ dream for her too. Maybe someday, I’ll convince her to pursue it again. It’s not too late, right?

And... Hiro-kun too... He told me that he knew that you were always the one that I needed. He told me it’s okay to give it another try... to give you another chance... because he now knows how much you care for me and that you’re really a good person... So... tell me, _Ayase-san_...” She looked directly into Eli’s ice blue orbs.

Eli’s face reddened, and she gulped. “Y-Yes?”

“Since when were you and Hiro-kun e-mailing each other!?”

“Eh?”

“Don’t eh me! When did you two get close?” Nozomi raised an eyebrow.

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“About... a week after he left? I got his e-mail address from Nico.”

“And?”

“And... what?”

“What did you say to him?”, Nozomi asked.

“I apologized to him for hurting you in the past... and I a-asked him for a favor... and then we chatted for some time and it turns out that he’s such a good kid and we kind of got along then.” Eli smiled.

“And what favor did you ask him?”

“Ah, well, um, I have this friend who, uh, wants to have a new house and I asked him if he could be the architect for it...” Eli looked up.

“I... see.”

“Um” She briefly turned back to Nozomi, before looking away again.

“Yes?”

“About earlier, um, so, uh,” Eli’s eyes refused to meet Nozomi’s.

“Hmm?”

“So, uh, are you... w-willing to give me another ch-chance now..?”, Eli asked hesitantly.

“Oh. Of course not”, Nozomi said expressionlessly.

“Eh?” Eli’s face paled.

Nozomi chuckled. “Just kidding. Yes, I am. I, Nozomi Toujou, hereby give you, Eli Ayase, one more chance to be my friend.” She grinned.

But Eli stayed still. She was frozen. Her eyes were unfocused.

“Elichi?”, Nozomi asked. “Are you alright there?” She waved her hand in front of Eli’s face.

Suddenly, Eli enveloped her in an embrace. “T-Thank you, Nozomi. Thank you...” She was also thanking the gods, for granting her wishes and prayer immediately.

Nozomi felt Eli’s tears on her shoulder and she returned the gesture. She smiled, feeling relieved of everything.

When they pulled back, Nozomi noticed something on Eli.

“Elichi, why are you sweating so much?”, she asked.

“W-Well, i-it’s kind of hot here, don’t you think? C-Can I open the windows? O-Or do you want to leave now?”

“Just open the windows... I want to stay here a bit longer...” Nozomi smiled.

“Okay then”, said Eli. She stood up and opened the windows, letting the night breeze into the room.

“I’ve been wondering, Elichi...”, Nozomi said.

“Hmm? What is it?” Eli turned her head to Nozomi, still enjoying the cold air from outside.

“You’ve always hated hot days, and loved the cold, right? Then why do you always wear a cardigan lately? Have you been infected by Nicochi?” Nozomi saw Eli flinch at the question. “Hmm?”

“Ah, well, that’s...” Eli sighed. “I... guess I really have to be honest to you now if I want to be your friend again, huh?” She slowly walked back to Nozomi, while taking off her cardigan.

“Eh? Elichi, wait. W-We can’t do that you said w-we’re going to be f-friends first r-r-right?” Nozomi’s face reddened as Eli came closer and closer. She shut her eyes.

When nothing came, she opened her eyes slowly and what she saw was Eli’s left arm, filled with scars. She looked up and saw Eli’s concerned face.

“Did you think I was going to do indecent things to you? I’m not like that, right?” Eli looked like a hurt little puppy.

Nozomi looked back at Eli’s arm and snapped out of her trance. “Y-Yes, I’m sorry... What happened... to this?” She traced Eli’s scars with her fingers.

“Do you remember when Maki suddenly postponed our project?”, Eli asked.

Nozomi looked down. “Y-You were in a coma... right?”

“You knew?”

“Yes... I overheard it from Nicochi and Hiro-kun. What happened then, Elichi?” Nozomi worriedly looked at Eli.

“When you fainted and were taken to Maki’s hospital... We went there for you and met Kohiro-kun. It was then that he said that he’s your boyfriend... I was hurt and I ran away. Then someone almost ran over me with her car. She took me home and waited for me to wake up because I was unconscious. When I woke up, she said she’s going back to Uchiura and I tagged along with her...”

“That’s... far, isn’t it?”

“Yes, when we got there, I met her girlfriend. They were so in love with each other and I was jealous. I’ve missed you so much. The next day I was alone at the beach and I... cut myself. I wanted to end myself. I only held on living because I thought maybe we can be together again but then Kohiro-kun showed up and I lost my will to live... I’m sorry, Nozomi... I shouldn’t have done that...” Eli bit her lip and looked down, feeling guilty.

Nozomi was shocked at the information. She didn’t expect it to be something like that. She stood up and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m sorry, Elichi...”

Eli returned the embrace and said, “It’s not your fault...”

When they pulled back, Eli said, “There’s more...” She removed her wristwatch and showed Nozomi another scar that seemed to be older than the others. “This one... is from years ago. Back when I left you. I regretted it so much...”

“Elichi... I didn’t know... I’m really sorry...” Nozomi started to tear up again but Eli wiped her tears away with her thumb.

“Shhh... Don’t blame yourself. I was just a coward. I was just weak. But it’s okay now, now that you’re here with me again...” Eli gave her a warm smile and embraced her again. “I’ve missed you so much, Nozomi... I’ve missed you...”

Nozomi buried her face on Eli’s shoulder and clutched her back. “Mhm... I’ve missed you too...”

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the comforting feeling that the other gave.

“Nozomi?”, Eli asked, not moving from their position.

“Elichi?”

Eli couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her nickname. She missed hearing that so much and was glad that she would be called like that again.

“Friends?”

“Friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> What do you think of this chapter?
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	20. A New Addition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Been feeling sick since last week.

Nozomi and Eli stayed in the Student Council Room for a while. They talked about so many things and caught up into each other’s lives. It was still a bit awkward at first, but they got by just fine. They shed more tears and shared laughter. Eli also admitted that she was the one responsible for all the white roses on Nozomi’s apartment’s doorstep; though the purple-haired already knew that. She still recognized her handwriting after all, even after all those years they were apart.

They left the room with a bow and headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner. There, they continued their storytelling with more laughter. Nozomi became more comfortable and started to tease the blonde again.

Eli walked Nozomi home. They were in a comfortable silence. They still kept a respectable distance between them, yet enjoyed the company of each other.

They arrived at Nozomi’s doorstep and the purple-haired took her keys out from her bag.

“I guess I’ll go home now. Good night, Nozomi,” said Eli and she gave her a smile that screamed happiness.

“Thanks again, Elichi. Take care.” Nozomi returned the smile and opened her door.

Eli hummed and nodded before turning around to walk home. She couldn’t help but grin at the thought that she was once again able to talk with the love of her life.

Meanwhile, Nozomi entered her apartment and closed the door. She laid her back on it.

She looked at the ground and closed her eyes as the blonde looked at the night sky and mumbled the same thing as her.

_“Finally.”_

\--

At that same night, Nico Yazawa pinched the bridge of her nose as she looked through what was happening around her.

It was night time but laughter resonated within the studio. There were scattered papers on the table. There’s also a black cloth that laid on the floor. The scent of mandarin oranges could be traced in the place.

Rin was playing around the studio with two younger girls. Nico knew these girls but she didn’t expect them to be this... playful.

She sighed heavily as she remembered what led to this mess.

_“Excuse us...” An orange-haired young woman pushed open the door of SP Photography studio. With her was a slightly shorter blue-haired lady. They were dressed up somewhat formally and they were carrying some folders._

_“Good day! Welcome to Spiritual Power Photography!” Nico greeted them with a big smile on her face. “What can I do for you, young ladies? Wait, you’re Chika Takami and Yoshiko Tsushima right!?”_

_“Yohane!” shouted the blue-haired._

_“You’re Nico-san! From Muse!” The orange-haired’s red eyes glistened in admiration._

_“That’s right! I’m the great Nico Nii!” The black-haired winked. “What brings you two here? Need a photo? Or an autograph from the cutest thing in the universe that is Nico?”_

_“Can I really have an auto--” Chika was cut off by Yoshiko._

_“We’re here to involve ourselves in this thing called work. This is a good place to attract my potential little demons.” Yoshiko laughed wickedly as Nico processed what she was saying._

_“So... you’re here to...”_

_“Apply!” Chika exclaimed. “I want to be a photographer!”_

_“An editor, I must be,” Yoshiko stated._

_“I-I see. Do you have your requirements with you?” Nico questioned._

_“Yep!” Chika nodded enthusiastically. “Oh shoot!” She gasped as if she just realized something very important. “I mean, yes, ma’am.” The orange-haired bowed._

_This made Nico raise an eyebrow. “Eh?”_

_Chika signaled Yoshiko - who seemed to remember it too - to do the same thing, and unexpectedly, the_ fallen angel _didn’t offer any resistance and followed._

_“We apologize for having forgotten our manners, ma’am. Good day to you, I am Yo-Yoshiko Tsushima.” Another bow was offered._

_“And I am Chika Takami.” Another bow._

_“We are here today to apply for jobs,” the two chorused._

_Their sudden change was weirding Nico out. Little did she knew that they just remembered a certain_ redhead _friend of theirs’ ~~warning~~ reminder to always be polite in applying for jobs._

_“I... see. Follow me in the office then...” Nico locked the studio door and sent a text message to Rin who was then out to buy them lunch. She led the girls inside the office for the interview._

_And the rest was just... mess... after mess... after mess..._

_To sum it all up, Rin came back with their food and recognized the younger women. She knew them from Hanayo years ago. They recognized Rin too, and from there, they all talked about all sorts of things. They made the office their playground and they had a lot of... fun._

_As for Nico, the oldest of them, her head just ached from all the noise. She just thanked the gods that Honoka wasn’t there too. She just couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if she was._

Back to the present, Nico slammed her hands on the table. The three suddenly stopped all noises and movements. They slowly turned to her.

“Quiet!” Nico scolded. “It’s getting late and you’re too lively!”

They hung their head low and muttered, “we’re sorry...”

A moment of silence embraced the room.

“Um, we apologize for the ruckus, Ma’am. Please don’t change your decision to hire us...” Chika spoke and bowed.

“Please,” Yoshiko followed.

“Please hire us nya...” Rin bowed too, making Nico raise an eyebrow.

“Rin you’re already working here.”

“Oh.” Rin looked up. “Then hire them nya!”

“Yes, yes, you two, heads up.” The two turned back up and looked at Nico. “But remember that Nozomi’s words are still the final decision, okay?”

“Yes Ma’am!”

\--

A few days after that fateful night, Nozomi and Nico were once again at the office of ChocoCoco Flower Shop. Eli and Maki were also there, together with the couple that was Umi and Kotori. Rin stayed at their studio to be with the two new staff while Honoka and Hanayo were out of town for tours.

They were finalizing the photos to be put in the advertising magazine.

“How about this one,” said Nozomi, pointing to a photo of Eli, “it brings out the beauty of your eyes.” She turned to Eli.

The blonde’s face flushed red. “I-It’s good.” Her eyes refused to meet Nozomi’s. “W-What do you think, M-Maki?” She looked at the redhead.

Maki, who was watching them, had a smirk on her face. “Not bad. Let’s put it there.”

Nico, who was sitting between Nozomi and Maki, nodded as she took the photo and placed it on the approved pile of photos. “This is the last of the pile.”

“Then I’ll be presenting the first articles I wrote,” said Umi.

“We’ll proceed to that later, Umi. It’s already 12, let’s have a lunch break first, shall we?” Eli said, as she stood up and laid her hand for Nozomi to help her up. She offered a smile which was returned.

Although, the purple-haired didn’t accept the hand and instead muttered that she could stand up on her own. Eli didn’t take it bad though, as she understood that she shouldn’t rush things and let Nozomi adjust to her again.

Lunch was fun - genuinely fun. There was little to no left of that heavy atmosphere between Nozomi and Eli. They all talked about various things that were in trend. It was just like when they were in high school. The air was light, no pressure. It would be more enjoyable if they’re complete though. But as they say, you have to enjoy what’s on your plate.

“How’s your new staff, Nozomi?” Eli casually asked before taking a sip of her juice.

“They’re... interesting,” answered Nozomi.

“Really? How so?” The blonde raised an eyebrow.

“Well, they’re so energetic.” Nozomi smiled.

“Oh tell me about it. They almost ruined the office when they first arrived. They shouldn’t be in the same place with Rin with no adult supervision!” Nico exclaimed.

“Oh, so you’re admitting that you’re old?” Maki smirked.

“Hey!” The raven-haired glared at the redhead.

“But aren’t they technically adults already?” Umi asked.

“Give them some faith, Nico-chan. I’m sure they’ll be fine!” Kotori patted Nico’s shoulder.

“You won’t say that when you meet them.” Nico rolled her eyes.

“We’d love to meet them. They’re with Mari-san in Aqours right?”, Eli asked.

“Honoka-chan would be glad to see them too! And Hanayo-chan!” Kotori said.

Nico choked on and spilled her drink. “Oh God, please, no! That’d be a total disaster!”

“Ew, now you’ve got juice all over your shirt. Go change in the comfort room!” Maki handed her tissue papers to wipe her face.

The black-haired stood up. “But I didn’t bring any extra shirt today!”

“Then go wear mine. It’s in my bag, just go get it.” The redhead twirled her hair and looked away.

“Which bag?” asked Nico.

“The one with the keychain,” she shrugged. Kotori’s ears perked up when she heard this. She already noticed their matching keychains when they arrived in the morning.

When Nico turned to get the said shirt, Kotori got into the business of teasing Maki.

“So the lovebirds got matching keychains?” Her smile was a mischievous one, similar to that of Nozomi’s.

“I do remember someone named Nicochi having those, right, Elichi?” The purple-haired turned to Eli.

“Oh! From Cocoa’s game at Otonoki, isn’t it? So Nico gave you one huh?” The blonde raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner as she looked at Maki, whose face was turning red.

“D-Does it matter that she g-gave me one!? And what do you mean lovebirds!? We’re not birds!” The redhead twirled her hair faster and refused to look at them.

“H-How shameless!”As always, Umi freaked out at an act of being _explicitly_ (as she’d like to describe it) in love.

“It’s just a pair of keychains Umi! With n-no special meaning at all!” By this time, Maki’s face was as red as her hair already.

“Now, don’t speak like that, Maki-chan. What would Nicochi say if she heard that?”

In an instant, Maki’s face became pale as her skin. “S-Sorry.”

“Huh, why are you apologizing, Maki-chan?” Nico, now wearing Maki’s shirt, came out of nowhere.

“Nico-chan! How l-long have you been there?” Startled, Maki nervously asked.

“Just now. So, what’s up?” Nico asked as she took her seat.

“Nothing! Anyway, nice dress you’ve got there, Nicochi!” Nozomi teased.

“Maki’s shirt almost reaches your knees!” Eli broke into a fit of laughter, together with Nozomi.

“Shut up! It’s not like I have a choice but to wear this!” The ravenette crossed her arms.

After Nozomi and Eli’s successful attempt to change the topic, Maki sighed and calmed down. “You like wearing it though,” she said.

“I-It’s comfy!” Nico argued.

“Yes, yes, and smells like Maki-chan too, right?” The purple-haired asked.

“Yes! Smells like Ma--no! It’s just comfy! Comfy!” The raven-haired exclaimed.

“Whatever you say, Nico.” Eli chuckled. Nico rolled her eyes at the statement.

“You seem to be happy today, Eli.” Umi commented. She noticed that unlike the past few months, the blonde smiled more often.

“Hmm?” Eli stretched her arms high. “Well, today’s a great day, isn’t it?” She grinned.

“Yes, a great day to do work! Let’s go back, it’s almost 1 pm.” Nozomi stood up. As the now usual, she wouldn’t spend extra time for anything but work.

Eli looked at her wristwatch to check the time. “You’re right, let’s go then,” she said before standing up. The other five followed suit.

“You guys go ahead, I need to go to the comfort room,” Umi said.

“Ah, me too,” said Maki.

“Alright, we’ll be at the office.” Eli nodded and they went back to the office.

Umi and Maki proceeded at the comfort room where Maki shared her insights to Umi.

“They seem to be getting along these past few days,” said Maki as she turned the faucet on.

“Nozomi and Eli?” Umi asked.

“Yeah, Nozomi’s being responsive to Eli. Wonder what happened...”

“I don’t know either. Have you asked Nico?”

“She has no idea too,” Maki shrugged.

“Well, the important thing is that they’re talking to each other again. Let’s just hope for the best for them.”

“I guess so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Lovelots! <3


	21. Worries

**KRRRIIING KRRRIIING**

Nozomi woke up at the sound of her cellphone. She yawned as she sat up to take it. Who could’ve been calling in the middle of the night?

As it turned out, it was Eli. She immediately answered, worried that there might be an emergency.

“Hello? Is everything okay, Elichi?” she asked.

**N-Nozomi? C-Can we meet right now? I have to talk to you about something.** Eli’s voice was wavering, a clear sign that something wasn’t right. This made Nozomi uneasier.

“Calm down, Elichi. Yes, where do we meet?” It didn’t matter that it was already 11:45 pm. Nozomi was going to be the caring friend that she was.

Half an hour passed and they were seated across each other in a fast food restaurant that’s open 24 hours a day. Both were clad in loose pants, shirt, and a cardigan. Eli looked more stressed than usual while Nozomi wore a concerned look. The purple-haired wondered what had happened for the normally composed blonde to be like that.

“So, tell me what happened,” Nozomi said softly.

“I...” Eli paused. “I have a favor to ask you...” She looked away, seemingly embarrassed.

“What is it?” Nozomi smiled, trying to comfort her friend.

“Can you go with me in Russia?” Eli refused to look at her eyes, constantly avoiding it.

“Huh?” Nozomi asked, confused at the sudden invitation. “Why?” A tinge of red was evident on her cheeks.

“Y-You see...”

The purple-haired just looked at her, urging her to continue.

“My grandmother... Y-You know her, right?” Nozomi nodded. “She’s getting older and... she’s been feeling bad the past few weeks... I hate to admit it but...”

“Is she... dying?” Nozomi couldn’t help but ask.

“I think so...” Eli looked down.

Silence enveloped the two of them. Neither really wanted to talk about something about death, but they had to.

“Um, I understand _your_ need to go to her but...” Nozomi paused, “what does it have to do with me going with you there?”

“She wants to meet you...”

“Me? But why?”

“She... doesn’t know... that we’ve broken up.” Eli’s eyes briefly met Nozomi’s before diverting again.

“What? You haven’t told her?” asked Nozomi, in which the other answered with a nod.

“Elichi it’s been five years since! You’ve been lying to your own grandmother?” Nozomi couldn’t believe that of all the people Eli would lie to and hide things from, it happened to be her grandmother. She knew that the blonde loved the old lady so much so how could she..?

“I-I’m sorry!” Eli pleaded. “Let me explain!”

“I thought we already spilled everything to each other about our breakup? Why are you only telling me this now!?” As much as Nozomi wanted to avoid raising her voice and causing a commotion, she couldn’t really help it as her heart was panicking.

“Just listen to me, please!” Eli looked at her eyes desperately.

Nozomi just stared at her in disbelief, unsure if she should hear her out. Eli placed her hand atop hers. “Please, Nozomi...”

“Okay, I’ll listen...”

And listen so she did. Eli had told her the reasons why she had to lie to her grandmother about them breaking up. Her grandmother loved Nozomi so much and it would break her heart to hear that she and Eli were through. She’d always looked forward to Eli’s stories about them - their dates, adventures, and even the little things. She was getting old and sickly, and Eli didn’t want to add to her worries. She knew how Eli tended to overwork herself and Nozomi was the only one who could take care of and control her habits.

Nozomi now understood why Eli had to do that. However, she knew that the old woman deserved to know the truth, especially since it’s about her dear grandchild.

“So please, can you go with me there? Just five days, no more, no less,” Eli assured her. “She’d be so happy to see you again.”

“Let me ask you something first,” said Nozomi.

“What is it? I’ll answer anything.”

“ _If_ I do agree to come with you, do you want me to pretend that we’re still together?” Nozomi raised an eyebrow. Going to Russia to meet Eli’s grandmother wasn’t really a big deal for her. In fact, she’d love to see the lady again. They had been very close even if they’d only met each other once in Japan six years ago. But acting as if she’s still Eli’s girlfriend in front of her was a whole different thing.

“...” Eli didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t really thought about it. All she wanted was for Nozomi to go with her to meet her grandmother.

“Well?” Nozomi pushed.

“N-Not necessarily. You can just be yourself while we’re there, no pressure. Just... can you, uh, please not ignore me so much? But don’t worry, I promise not to bother you too much.” Eli smiled in an unsure manner.

“Okay then, I’ll go with you.”

“Really?” Eli’s face lit up. She took Nozomi’s hands into her own and squeezed it in joy. “Thank you, Nozomi! Thank you so much!” She looked like she was about to tear up.

Nozomi smiled at her. “What will happen to our project though?” She asked.

“I let Maki take charge of the finalization. She’d take care of everything while we’re gone. You think you can let Nico handle your part?”

Nozomi hummed. “I think so... There’s not much to be done anyway, I think they can do it without us. So when do we fly there?”

“Tomorrow?” Eli more like asked, and not answered the question.

“Already?”

“I-If it’s okay with you? We need to see Obaa-sama as soon as possible...” Blue eyes looked down.

“It’s alright... Just give me time to inform Nicochi and the others...” Nozomi smiled softly, hoping to ease out Eli’s uneasiness.

“Really, thank you so much, Nozomi. You don’t know how much this means to me... Thank you thank you thank you!” Eli took hold of her hands again in gratitude. She gave her a sweet genuine smile, making Nozomi’s heart flutter a bit.

“No problem, Elichi. Shall we go home now? It’s already midnight, your family might be worried about you. We can talk about the details of our flight on the phone.” Nozomi stood up and looked at Eli. The latter then followed and offered to walk her home to compensate for her action of calling her out in the middle of the night. Nozomi declined, saying it’s already so late and she should go home. She told her she could go home fine by herself. Besides, the restaurant where they met was quite far from Eli’s place, while Nozomi’s was just nearby. The blonde still insisted, but eventually gave in when Nozomi squeezed her hand. They bade each other goodbye with a good night.

\--

The day after, Nozomi woke up earlier than usual to go the studio. When she arrived, Nico was already inside, cleaning.

“Early as the bird as usual, I see, Nicochi,” she teasingly said as she put her bag down.

“Gotta arrange a few things before opening up,” she shrugged, “what about you? You’re not this early usually.”

“I won’t stay long... I gotta go somewhere,” Nozomi answered.

“Where to?” Nico asked.

“Russia.”

“I see, take care th--wait, what!?” Nico suddenly stopped sweeping the floor and looked at Nozomi in shock. “You’re going to where!?”

“I said, I’m going to Russia. With Elichi,” this time, Nozomi was the one to shrug. This made Nico furrow her eyebrows.

“What!? Two weeks after making up and you’re getting married to that blonde titan!?” The narrowed brows were accompanied by hands on the hips.

“What? I didn’t say anything about marriage!” Nozomi raised an eyebrow.

“Then what are you going to do there? And why with Eli?”

“Hey, hey, calm down first Nicochi. Deep breaths, deep breaths,” Nozomi motioned her hand in front of Nico telling her to calm down.

Nico released her hand from her hips and breathed deeply. “Okay, I’m calm. Now answer my questions.”

“Now that’s more like it. First, I’m going to meet Elichi’s grandmother. Second, she’s Elichi’s grandmother, so of course Elichi is with me,” Nozomi said as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Huh? Why are you meeting her?” Nico asked.

“Well, she seems to not know about our breakup and thinks that we’re still together? That’s why she wants to see me.”

“What!? Why didn’t Eli tell her that!?” Nico raged again.

“Relax, Nicochi. I wondered about that too so I asked Elichi. She’s getting old and now it seems like she’s dying. Elichi didn’t want to worry her.”

“I... see. Are you going to be fine there with Eli and her family?” Nico asked, concerned about her best friend’s emotional well-being.

“I will be. Trust me.” She gave Nico a smile, assuring her that everything would be alright.

Nico sighed. “If you say so. Just call me if anything happens, okay? How long are you going to stay there, anyway? And what about our project?”

“Got it, my _small_ sweet overprotective best friend~ I’ll be there for five days, don’t know about Elichi though. As for the project, you and Maki-chan will be in-charge!” She winked.

“Hey! You didn’t have to add that small!” Nico exclaimed, earning a giggle from Nozomi. “Me and Maki-chan, huh? Are you sure we don’t have to pause the project? Both you and Eli will be gone and you two are the heads.”

“It’s okay. We have faith in you. Besides, Umi-chan and Kotori-chan are with you as well, and the rest of Muse too.” Nozomi gave her an assuring smile. “Just be sure not to let Rin-chan and the Aqours duo run wild here.” Another giggle.

Nico chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, the number one idol in the universe will make sure that nothing bad happens while you go on a date with a quarter Russian in Russia!”

Nozomi’s face flushed. “It’s not a date!”

“If you say sooo!” Nico went back to sweeping. “What time are you going anyway?”

“Before lunch, I think. Elichi will meet me in my apartment.” Nozomi looked up at the wallclock. “It’s still so early, let me help you clean.”

“Nah, just set-up the computers. I’m already done cleaning. Rin and the others should arrive soon.” Nico put the cleaning materials back to its place.

Nozomi did so. “Speaking of them, Nicochi.”

Nico faced her. “What?”

“How are they doing?” The purple-haired asked.

“Well, they’re better than I expected. Chika’s been exploring various styles of photography and Yoshiko seems to be an expert in computers.”

“Not that.” She turned to the ravenette. “What I meant is, are they happy here? Are they comfortable with working with us?”

“Oh, they’re _really_ comfortable. They already got along with Rin on their first day, remember? They treat the studio like a playground during breaks, dancing and singing. There are no issues at all.” Nico smiled.

“I see... That’s great then. Thanks, Nicochi.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly thanking me?” Nico raised a brow.

“Thanks for taking care of everything here. For taking care of me.” Nozomi gave Nico a bittersweet smile and opened her arms wide for Nico to embrace.

“Ha?” The black-haired just stood there, bewildered.

“Let me give you a hug then!” Nozomi wrapped her arms tight around Nico who struggled at first but eventually reciprocated.

“Drama!” Nico said, but her voice was telling Nozomi that she loved this kind of drama.

“Whatever you say, tsuntsun!” Nozomi hugged her tighter.

“Let go of me, boob monster! I can’t breathe!” Giggles were heard inside the Spiritual Power Photography as Nico was knocked out by Nozomi’s suffocating embrace.

\--

“Is everything ready? You sure you didn’t forget anything? Your toothbrush? Your favorite pillow? Your passport? Ticket?”

“All set, Elichi! I already packed everything this morning!”

“Okay then, let’s go meet Obaa-sama! She’d love to see you again. I hope she’s fine...”

“She’ll be alright, don’t worry. Now let’s go and see her, okay? She must’ve been waiting for her clever and cute Elichika!”

“N-Nozomi! You still remember that nickname!?”

“Of course!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Lovelots! <3


	22. Trip to Russia I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day! I once again apologize for the late update. My dad came home from abroad and we had to maximize the limited time he had here before he went back there. Life happened and it was great I guess.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

 “Is something wrong, Nozomi?” asked Eli. She had noticed that the other girl had been silent since their plane landed. They had arrived safe from Japan and were now in a cab on the way to the blonde’s grandmother’s house. She looked at her in concern.

Nozomi hummed. “No, I’m just...” She looked down and bit her lip.

“Just what? Are you feeling sick from the travel? You haven’t said a word for a while now.” Eli stared at her with curiosity. She was worried if Nozomi was regretting coming there with her.

“Well,” Nozomi looked back up, “how should I say this... I guess I just... feel nervous? It’s been so long since I last met obaa-san...”

Eli’s cheeks reddened. “D-Don’t feel nervous, she’s still the same obaa-sama that you met last time. I’m sure you’ll still get along.” She gave her an assuring smile. Though, she, too, suddenly felt nervous, for it was like she’s going to be introducing a girlfriend to her family. “It’ll be fine,” she told her, but it was more like she was telling that to herself.

Nozomi returned the smile. “I hope so. Does she still remember Japanese? I still don’t know much about Russian,” she said sheepishly.

“Ah, of course. She remembers Japanese by heart. She fell in love with a Japanese after all.” Eli chuckled. _“And so did I...”_

“I... see.” A tinge of red colored Nozomi’s face. “T-That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah...” Both turned their heads opposite each other.

Silence fell upon them. Eli took her phone out to text her mother that they’re almost there.On the other hand, Nozomi looked at the window to enjoy the scenery that was the sunset.

Minutes later, the cab halted and Eli spoke, “we’re here.” Nozomi turned to her and nodded. The blonde paid the driver and went out of the car. She held the door open and offered her hand to the purple-haired. Nozomi took it and let herself be assisted on her way out.

The driver helped Eli take out their suitcases from the car’s compartment. The pair thanked him and he drove away.

They stood before the door of the house. Eli looked at the still silent girl and patted her on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay,” she said. She once again smiled at her before ringing the doorbell.

Seconds later, the door opened, revealing Alisa.

“Onee-chan!” The younger girl embraced Eli. When she pulled back, she turned to Nozomi and nodded. “N-Nozomi-san.” She stiffly smiled. She was uneasy to meet the purple-haired again after their last encounter. Though it’s not that she had something against her, she was just unsure of how to talk to her again and afraid that she’d be ignored by her.

“Hello, Alisa-chan!” Nozomi felt the uneasiness in Alisa so she smiled. “It’s been a while, it’s good to see you again.”

With that, Alisa’s eyes lit up and she wrapped her arms around Nozomi. “I’ve missed you!”

The older girl looked at Eli, who just smiled at her, before reciprocating the hug. “I’ve missed you too, Alisa-chan.”

When they pulled back, Nozomi commented, “I wasn’t able to say this the last time we met, but you’ve grown so much, you’re taller than me now!”

Eli chuckled. “It’s in the genes. Now what do you say we save the chitchat for later and let us come in?” She referred to Alisa.

“Oh, yes! Come in, mama’s preparing dinner!” She stepped aside to let the two come in.

“I’m home!” Eli called out. She smiled, looking around and relishing the warm and safe feeling that the house emitted. It had been a while since she last came over and was glad that she was able to return. Nozomi being with her made her a lot more happy. They may not be there as lovers but she loved the combination of the feeling of home and Nozomi.

“Sorry for intruding...” Nozomi said shyly. All her nerves vanished when she entered the house. She now understood why Eli loved this home so much. It made her feel secured and wanted. At this realization, she felt a pang of sadness swell within her. She never really had a home like this.

Eli turned back to her and saw the look on her face. “Come here, let yourself feel at home!” She gave her a smile that could rival the lights.

Nozomi felt better seeing that and she let herself in. “T-Thanks.” She nodded.

Eli’s mother came out from the kitchen to greet them. “Go fix your things and take a bath, dinner will be ready soon,” she said.

Eli nodded and took their suitcases. She looked at Nozomi, prompting her to follow her upstairs. “Where’s obaa-sama?” she asked as they went up.

“In her room,” answered Alisa, who was now sitting on the couch, “she’s probably sleeping right now, but she’d be glad to know you’re back.”

Eli beamed. “I’ll wake her up for dinner then.”

Eli continued to lead Nozomi to her room. Her room was just at near end of the hallway and in its door hung something like a card that says “Elichika” in Russian. Fortunately, she was able to understand it due to her little knowledge on the language and alphabet. Around it were colorful flowers that looked like it was drawn by a kid. Imagining a small Eli dribbling it while slightly sticking her tongue out in concentration made Nozomi smile. Eli turned to her and noticed. She followed her line of sight and a blush crept to her face.

“I-It’s ugly, I know,” she looked away as she turned the knob and opened the door, “l-let’s just go in.”

Nozomi chuckled. “It’s cute though! So Elichi really does like flowers huh?”

They stepped inside the room and were welcomed by Eli’s scent. Eli had no idea with that though, it was something only Nozomi was familiar with. Nozomi’s teasing grin was replaced by a warm, yet sad smile at the nostalgic feeling it gave.

Once Eli calmed down, she said, “go on and take a bath, I’ll fix our things here.” She turned to the drawers and asked, “I have an extra towel here for you, or did you bring your own?”

“Ah, I forgot to bring one,” Nozomi said sheepishly. At this point, she was already taking out a change of clothes from her suitcase.

Eli brought out a clean bath towel and gave it to Nozomi. “Take this then.” She gave her a small smile.

Nozomi gratefully accepted it and turned to leave, only to return to Eli. “Um, Elichi?”

“Hmm?” Eli raised her brows questioningly.

“Where’s the bathroom?” Nozomi asked.

“Oh, it’s just next to this room.” Eli removed the scrunchy from her hair and gracefully let it flow freely on her back. The said gracefulness was unconsciously done and caught Nozomi off-guard.

The purple-haired held her breath but let it out when the blonde noticed it. “O-Okay, I’ll go now.” With that, she went out of the room and in to the bathroom with her clothes and Eli’s towel.

The bathroom wasn’t really big but it wasn’t too cramped either. Its size was just perfect to give a person a homey feel; like it was built for a family that was not tpo large. She took a quick shower and dipped into the tub for warmth. In there, she let herself relax to the comfort the water gave. Being there made her think though, was it really alright for her to be here? Although Eli assured her that her grandmother would just be the same as she was back then, she really couldn’t help but think that something bad would happen.

 _“No,”_ she told herself. _“I should stop thinking that way.”_ She closed her eyes, breathed deeply and opened it again. _“It’s going to be okay.”_ She tapped her face to calm her nerves.

After a couple of minutes, she decided to stand up and dry herself. She figured she shouldn’t stay there long so Eli could have enough time to bathe before dinner. So she took the towel that Eli gave her and wiped her body. She couldn’t help but notice the distinct smell that it had. It smelled just like Eli and she was immersed in the thoughts of the past. She quickly snapped herself though, she didn’t want to think much right now.

Nozomi put on her clothes and went back to Eli’s room. When she opened the door though, she heard Eli speak, “...would love to, yes, of course...” The blonde was talking with someone on the phone and she seemed rather enthusiastic.

“Ah! I’m sorry!” Nozomi immediately closed the door, not wanting to eavesdrop.

Eli already ended the call when she noticed her though. “It’s fine. Come on in, I’m done with my call,” she called out.

Nozomi hesitantly entered the room. She was met with Eli’s smiling face that seemed content. She returned the smile and looked at her expectantly. It’s like she’s waiting for something.

Eli only stood up and took her clothes. “I’ll be taking a bath then, just wait for me here and then we’ll go back downstairs for dinner.” She gave her one last nod before exiting the room.

Nozomi sighed exasperatedly. _“What is wrong with me? What was I expecting? For her to tell me who she was talking to on the phone? I’m not her lover!”_

Not too long after, Eli came back to the room refreshed. “Let’s go?” she asked, while drying her hair with a towel.

Nozomi nodded and let herself be led by Eli to the dining room where Alisa was already seated.

“You can sit here,” she dragged out the chair opposite Alisa, “I’ll just wake obaa-sama up.” She gave the purple-haired a small smile who nodded and took the seat.

Once Eli made sure Nozomi was comfortably seated, she went back upstairs to her grandmother’s room. The room was at the far end of the hallway and its door was dark brown in color and looked old. She gave it a soft knock twice before slowly opening it, revealing her grandmother’s sleeping figure on the bed.

She sat beside her. “Obaa-sama,” she called out softly, “it’s me, Elichika.” She gently touched her shoulder. “Dinner’s ready.”

Her grandmother stirred and opened her eyes, showing pale blue orbs. Seeing Eli brought out a warm smile on her face.

“My darling Elichika...” She sat up and embraced her granddaughter. “I’ve missed you...”

Reciprocating the action, Eli said, “I’ve missed you too, obaa-sama... I’m home!”

The older blonde pulled back and looked at Eli in the eye. “Welcome home.”

Eli let out a satisfied smile as she nodded. “Now let’s go and have some dinner?” She stood up and offered her a hand to help her stand. “Someone’s waiting for you.”

The woman thankfully accepted the hand and rose up. “Is it..?”

“Mhm,” Eli hummed.

The old lady’s eyes lit up and they slowly made their way out of the room, with Eli assisting her while walking.

When they arrived at the dining room, Alisa approached them to greet their grandmother. Nozomi stood too and bowed.

“Good evening, obaa-san. It’s nice to see you again.” She smiled but it was evident that she was somewhat tense again.

Eli’s grandmother looked at her in disbelief. “Why are you being so formal? Come here and give me a hug!” She opened her arms wide prompting Nozomi to embrace her.

The action startled the purple-haired for a second before she beamed and stepped forward to wrap her arms around the old lady. She was relieved that she really was still the same obaa-san that she knew. She gave her a small squeeze and pulled back. “How are ya?” she asked, as she helped her seat at the head of the table.

“Oh, still breathing fortunately,” the old woman joked. “My back hurts sometimes though,” she shrugged.

After making sure she was seated comfortably, the three young women took their seats. Eli was on the left side of her grandmother while Nozomi sat beside her. On the other side was an empty chair to be occupied by Eli and Alisa’s mother followed by Alisa.

“You shouldn’t overwork yourself then,” said Nozomi. “Are you still doing some knitting?”

“Still do. Just a few mittens or scarfs here and there,” answered the lady.

“So she says, but I heard from Private Alisa that you’ve been knitting all the time recently!” Eli exclaimed.

“You gave me away?” She turned to Alisa with a fake hurt expression. “I thought we’re on the same team? I feel so betrayed!”

“I’m sorry, I was just doing my tasks!” The youngest of them joined their little game.

“Yup! Good job!” Eli saluted to Alisa who returned the gesture with a small laugh.

“Thanks Captain Onee-chan!”

Witnessing the whole interaction between the three blondes made Nozomi giggle with warmth. She was glad that nothing big seemed to really have changed about them. They continued their play until Eli and Alisa’s mother came in from the kitchen with their food.

“Alright girls, time to eat! You can continue laughing afterwards.” She set the food on the table and took her seat. They calmed down and began to dig in.

The food was tasty, as always, Nozomi remembered. It had been a while since she last ate her cooking but she knew how well she made it.

“I’m really glad you could make it this time, Nozomi,” said the old lady after swallowing some food. “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to come because of your work.”

“I took a week off from work to see you obaa-san. It’s really been a while,” Nozomi carefully answered.

“Ah yes, last time I saw you you were just a li’l kid!” Grandma Ayase laughed and the remaining four giggled at her statement. “But jokes aside,” she said, “I’m happy you were able to take time off from work. Heard you’ve been so into it the past years.”

“I opened up a small business last year so I’ve been really busy prepping for it. ‘Twas a lot of work, but it’s paying off right now.” Nozomi smiled. “Sorry I wasn’t able to be in touch with you,” she said sheepishly.

“No worries, no worries!” The woman assured her. “What’s important is you’re doing okay! Besides, it’s already a lot to me that you’re by my Elichika’s side...” This made Eli’s cheeks have a tinge of red.

Nozomi chose to be speechless and took a bite of her food. She would just let Eli respond to that.

Realizing Nozomi didn’t answer, Eli knew she had to. “Mhm, I’m really grateful to her for that...” She turned to the purple-haired, who fortunately looked at her too, and gave her a small smile.

“Speaking of which,” the old lady paused, “I was wondering when this old blondie would meet her great-grandchildren?” The question took both Eli and Nozomi off-guard and they choked on their food; their faces heated up. Eli’s mother and Alisa looked at them in concern while they drank water to ease it.

“W-Why would you ask t-that, obaa-sama!?” Eli exclaimed.

“Well, I’m getting real old y’know? I just wanna see a little kid running ‘round here while playing again.” There wasn’t a hint of kidding in her voice and the look on her face told Eli and Nozomi she was serious.

“M-Maybe someday, obaa-san.” Nozomi smiled at her.

“So you better take care of yourself so you’ll be healthy enough to play with them when the time comes, okay?” Eli gave her a tender smile.

“You bet I will! I’m still going to teach your kid how to knit stuff!” The old woman returned the smiles with a big one.

“Now don’t get too excited and finish your food already so you can drink your medicine,” Eli’s mother, who knew the real situation, said. “It’s already getting late. You can still talk about things tomorrow.”

“Mhm,” the oldest nodded and dinner went by peacefully.

After taking her medications, the old lady went back to her room with Eli assisting her on walking. The young woman tucked her in bed before saying her good night.

“Sweet dreams, obaa-sama,” Eli said softly.

“Good night, Elichika, say good night to Nozomi again for me too, okay?”

Eli nodded and gave her one last smile before making sure she’s comfortable and exiting the room. She then went back downstairs to check on Alisa who was watching a show on the TV.

“Not sleepy yet?” she asked the younger Ayase.

“Not yet,” Alisa answered. “You should take a rest now though, I’m sure you’re tired.”

“Ah, yes, I’m gonna sleep soon too. Did Nozomi already go back to my room?”

“Yup. She helped with the dishes before going up though. She really is so kind.”

“She is.” Eli smiled to herself. “Well, I’m going now, don’t stay up too late, okay?” She turned around but before she could take a step forward, Alisa asked her.

“Are you sleeping in my room or..?” she trailed off.

Eli turned back at her in confusion but caught on after a second. “There’s only one bed in my room.” Her eyes widened at the realization.

“Yup.” Alisa nodded. “So?”

Eli sighed. “I’m sleeping in your room.”

“Okay. Good night then, onee-chan. Say good night to Nozomi-san for me too!” Alisa smiled at her.

“Will do. Good night, Alisa.” With that, Eli went back up to her room.

“Nozomi?” She slowly opened the door, being careful to not be so loud in case the purple-haired was already asleep.

Nozomi was still awake though. She was sitting on the edge of Eli’s bed brushing her hair. “Elichi.” She looked up when she heard the blonde come in. “Is obaa-san already asleep?” she asked.

“Yes,” Eli answered as she entered and closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry for earlier,” she said sheepishly.

Nozomi shook her head. “It’s alright. She doesn’t really know anything, huh?”

“Mhm, you saw how excited she is when it comes you. I couldn’t really bring myself to tell her... Sorry.” Eli looked down.

“Don’t worry, I understand.”

Eli turned back up to her. “Really, thanks so much, Nozomi. I really owe you for this trip.”

“Well, what are friends for, right?” Nozomi chuckled and put her hairbrush down.

“M-Mhm, yeah...” Eli looked away for a moment before returning her sight to Nozomi. “Anyway, I’ll be sleeping at Alisa’s room so let yourself be comfortable here.”

“Ah, you don’t have to. I can just sleep on the floor and you can have your bed. I’m sure you miss your bed here, don’t you?” Nozomi stood up and offered the bed to her.

“No, no, I can’t let you do that. You’re the guest after all.” Eli waved her hands in front of her in disagreement.

“But you miss your bed?”

“I... do, but...”

“It’s settled then! You’ll have the bed and I’ll have the floor!” Nozomi grinned.

“Nozomi!” Eli exclaimed.

“Shh, Elichi, you’ll wake obaa-san up if you’re noisy.”

“But I really can’t just make you sleep on the floor.”

“Then how about we take turns?” Nozomi suggested.

“Take turns?”

“Every night we take turns on who sleeps on the bed. Is that good for you?” Nozomi smiled.

Eli sighed. “Alright then, but you’ll take the bed tonight. You need to get proper rest after that long flight.”

“But we took the same flight though? Don’t you need it too?”

“Not really. I’m stronger than you after all.” Eli winked and chuckled, making Nozomi let out a small laugh.

“Really, Elichi? Really?”

“Uh-huh,” Eli nodded. “So you tuck yourself in the bed and I’ll prepare a futon here, okay?”

“Okaaay!”

Once Eli was done putting on the futon and she turned the lamp on and the main light off.

“Still can’t sleep in the dark, huh?” Nozomi’s statement didn’t have its usual teasing tone but a genuine concern.

“I guess so,” Eli shrugged, noticing that the purple-haired wasn’t teasing her. She lied on the futon and covered herself with a thick blanket. “Good night then, Nozomi. Good night from obaa-sama and Alisa too.” She closed her eyes.

Nozomi smiled and closed her eyes. “Good night, Elichi... Sweet dreams...”

“Sweet dreams...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Please do remember that even if I won't be able to reply to all the comments from here on, I'm reading them all and thanking you from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate all the feedback and I hope to get more so I can improve my writing. Thanks for understanding! Lovelots!


	23. Trip to Russia II

Nozomi woke up with a headache. It seemed like she was still tired from their long flight. She sat up on the bed and reached for her phone at the bedside table. It was only 5 am. _“It’s too early,”_ she thought. She peered down and saw that Eli was still fast asleep and looked like she wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon.

Nozomi sighed. She knew she had to at least drink a glass of water to ease her throbbing head, but it would be awkward for her to go out of Eli’s room and go to the kitchen without the blonde. She didn’t really want to see any of Eli’s family members alone. It wasn’t that she hated them though. In fact, she loved Eli’s family, especially Alisa and their grandmother. It would really just be too awkward, considering their situation.

She looked at Eli again and shook her head (which worsened the ache). She knew she should let her rest and not disturb her. So, she settled on putting a pillow behind her head as she remained sitting. She breathed deeply to regulate her breathing and hopefully take the pain away. She closed her eyes.

Around half an hour passed and she was still seated on the bed and Eli was still asleep. A small knock came from the door, making her open her eyes. A moment later, Alisa peeked into the room and saw her.

The younger girl let herself into the room and closed the door. “Good morning, Nozomi-san,” she greeted softly. Her eyes landed on her sister who was covered in thick blankets as she lied on the futon. “I see, onee-chan’s still asleep.”

“Good morning, Alisa-chan. I’m sorry for letting your sister sleep on the floor.” She looked at her apologetically and noticed that she’s holding two water bottles.

Alisa shook her head. “No, no, it’s alright. You’re our guest after all.”

Remembering her conversation with Eli the night before, Nozomi muttered, “You really are sisters.”

“Hmm? Did you say something, Nozomi-san?” Alisa looked at her questioningly.

“Ah, nothing, what brings you here this early, Alisa-chan?” Nozomi asked. “Here to wake your sister up?”

“Ah, no, I brought these for you two,” she held the bottles up to show Nozomi, “obaa-sama said you might need these after waking up tired.” She put one of the bottles on the table and gave the other to the purple-haired.

“Oh, thank you,” said Nozomi, accepting the drink, “this helps with the headache.” She twisted the cap open and took a sip.

“Hmm, but if you’re awake already, would you mind coming with me downstairs with obaa-sama? It might be boring for you to wait for onee-chan to wake up. It’s still early,” Alisa politely asked. “Oh, but if you want to stay here to rest, it’s okay.”

Nozomi pondered the question for a moment before agreeing. “Sure, Alisa-chan. I could use some company too.”

Alisa’s eyes lit up and she gave her a smile.

“Just let me wash my face, okay?” Nozomi stood up. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Okay, we’ll be waiting in the living room then!” Alisa waved and exited the room.

 The purple-haired chugged down the water and threw the bottle in the trash can. She slowly walked to the door, being careful not to step on Eli. She took one last glance to the sleeping blonde. She considered waking her up, so she can lie on the bed but decided against it since she knew Eli had a hard time going back to sleep once she woke up.

She quietly turned the knob open and went out of the room to go to the bathroom. She rinsed her face and brushed her teeth before proceeding downstairs where she found Alisa and her grandmother seated on the couch.

She approached them and asked, “you’re already knitting at this time?”

Alisa turned to her and smiled.

The old woman looked up at her. “Oh, good morning, Nozomi,” she greeted, “come sit down,” she moved to the side and patted the space beside her. Alisa was seated on her other side. “You know, when you’re old, you gotta do what you can _while_ you can.” She chuckled.

Nozomi took the offer and sat beside the woman. “It’s nice to know you’re still good at it,” she commented, looking at the way the old lady moved her hands skillfully but effortlessly. It was like her hands perfectly memorized the pattern and were moving on its own.

“Do you wanna learn how to do it?” the woman asked. “I’m giving Alisa here some knitting lessons, so why don’t you join us?”

Nozomi smiled. “I’d be glad to!”

“Great!” The old lady beamed. She bent over to the table to get some knitting materials for Nozomi. She then gave it to the purple-haired. “Here,” she said.

Nozomi gratefully accepted the materials and asked, “so what should I do first?”

The lady instructed her on what the first things to do were and she was able to keep up with little to no problem at all. She gradually got used to the movements and the “ _rhythm”,_ as _obaa-san_ described it. She told her and Alisa that it’s important to put your feelings into what you’re knitting so the person who would be using it would feel the warmth from within it.

An hour passed while they were knitting and Nozomi was halfway on finishing her sky-blue scarf. They talked about various things while knitting.

“Y’know, Nozomi, I’m really grateful to you for taking care of our Elichika,” the old woman said.

Nozomi instantly tensed up at the mention of Eli. She felt a pang of guilt on not telling her the truth. Although Eli said she didn’t really have to pretend, she couldn’t bring herself to admit to the old lady. “N-No need to give me so much credits, obaa-san.”

“No, no, really, I just want to thank you for everything you’ve done for her. Especially these past few months…” The woman spoke, her eyes still focusing on the yarn she’s knitting. There was a small smile plastered on her face that was full of emotions.

“These past few months?” Nozomi questioned.

Alisa didn’t know what to say in this situation and chose to remain quiet and let Nozomi talk while still knitting.

“Yes, Elichika told me you’ve teamed up for a project at work? I don’t really know how you work but I’m glad you’ve been seeing each other more often,” the woman replied.

“Mhm, we’ve been meeting at least once a week to work on our project…”

“She seems happier lately because she’s always with you. She really loves you, you know? She’d been patient the past few years because she said your schedules always don’t match and you can’t really see each other often. That’s why we’re both happy that you had this project as an opportunity to spend more time together.” Her smile never seemed to cease from her face.

Nozomi didn’t know what to say. Her heart was breaking in more reasons than one. She was glad that the woman hadn’t taken her eyes off her work and she wasn’t obliged to look at her in eye. Else, she wouldn’t be able to and she might make the other worried. She tightened her grip on the yarn and opened her mouth in an attempt to say anything, but the woman beat her into it.

“She said she’s working hard so you can have a bright future ahead. Really, I’m proud of her.”

At that moment, a single tear dropped from the corner of Nozomi’s eye. She quickly wiped it away with her thumb and thankfully, it went unnoticed by her two companions. She bit her lip to prevent more tears from falling. She said, “I-I’m p-proud of her too. She’s come a long way since t-then…”

As if sensing the tense atmosphere, the old lady changed the topic. “But I’m proud of my little Alisa too, you know?”

The said girl suddenly turned to her grandmother. “Eh?”

“You’re a young woman now, Alisa, but you’re still a baby in obaa-chan’s heart.” The lady gave her granddaughter a sweet, sincere smile. “I remember then, you used to be a crybaby, but now look at you, you’re already a strong lady!”

“O-Obaa-chan!” Alisa’s cheeks were covered in red.

Her grandmother chuckled. “Oh! Speaking of babies,” she turned to Nozomi, who was trying her hardest to stay calm and happy, “do you want to see their baby photos? I didn’t get the chance to show them to you last time because we’re in Japan!”

Nozomi smiled and muttered, “s-sure.”

“Ah, then we should continue knitting later, okay? Let’s take a break while looking at those old photos.” The lady beamed with excitement.

Alisa and Nozomi nodded and took the materials and the unfinished scarf and mittens and put it aside. Alisa took out the old albums as per her grandmother’s guide on where they were kept. She handed her a yellow one with the name “Elichika” written on the cover.

The old lady turned it open, revealing Eli’s full name, including their mother’s and father’s. Grandmother’s name was there too. The next page showed a photo of Eli the day she was born. She was peacefully sleeping on her mother’s arms.

“See, ever since then, Elichika’s been a quiet child,” said her grandmother.

“She’s cute,” Nozomi commented. “So she’s been serious since she was born, huh?” She chuckled.

Alisa giggled.

“She has her moments though,” the old woman turned to the next page, “like this one.” She pointed to a picture of a small Eli who was crying with a fallen chocolate ice cream on the ground next to her. “Chocolate was her weakness.”

“It still is,” Nozomi and Alisa agreed.

They continued flipping through the photos of Eli and Alisa. There was one from Eli’s pre-school graduation where she looked so proud holding her certificate indicating she had honors. There was also one from Alisa’s first day of school. The little girl held the hand of her big sister tightly. It was evident that she was nervous, but her sister was there for her for support. A lot of photos from Eli’s ballet days were there. Every time, she was holding unto her grandmother.

There were also those from their elementary school graduations. They looked so innocent and happy. Eli was always with Alisa and their parents in those photos though, while Alisa had some shots with her friends. Nozomi smiled sadly at the thought of how Eli used to distance herself from others.

While the three of them were giggling and _aww-_ ing on the sisters’ photos, a voice suddenly entered the room.

“Nozomi?”

They all turned to the person and saw a sleepy Eli rubbing her eyes.

“Ah, Elichi, good morning sleepyhead!” Nozomi grinned.

“Good morning, Elichika!”

“Morning, onee-chan!”

“Good morning,” Eli replied, “what are you three doing?” She peered from behind them to see what they were holding. “Eh?” Her face heated up upon seeing a photo of herself when she was a just toddler. It was her third birthday and she stood naked on top of a table with chocolate all over her body.

The trio giggled.

“So Elichi was _that_ addicted to chocolate, huh?” said Nozomi.

“Nozomi! Obaa-sama why did you show her that!?”

“What’s wrong with it, dear? You were just a small kid then! It’s fine if she saw you all covered in chocolate after diving into your own birthday cake!” Grandmother let out a small teasing laugh. “Baby Alisa and I didn’t even get the chance to taste it!”

“Was the cake really that delicious, onee-chan?” Alisa teased.

“E-Even you, Alisa!? Why have you betrayed meee?” Eli whined but eventually gave in to the trio’s teasing and joined them in laughing when she saw a similar photo of Alisa, but she was covered in ice cream instead.

A few minutes passed, and Eli’s mother came out from the kitchen and called them for breakfast. The sisters put the albums back to where they belonged while Nozomi helped their grandmother stand and walk to the dining area.

Hours passed by and they enjoyed the indoors together. Grandmother gave more lessons on handknitting and some other stuff. Alisa told them stories from her workplace and friends. Eli and Nozomi explained to them the things about their collaboration project and how they got all of Muse on the team.

Eli thought that it was truly fun spending time with just her family, away from all the stress of work. She hoped Nozomi was enjoying too while having a good rest.

After dinner, they tucked Eli’s grandmother to bed before settling in Eli’s room.

Eli was about to lie on the futon, pretending she forgot about their deal on the bed.

“What do you think you’re doing, Elichi?” The purple-haired put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder.

Eli gulped. “Sleeping?”

“You’re on the bed tonight,” said Nozomi.

“O-Oh, right. I forgot.” She stepped aside. “Are you sure you don’t want the bed tonight too?”

“Yes, yes, now go sleep on your beloved bed.” Nozomi pushed her softly to the bed.

“Okay, okay, no need to push me.” Eli gave in and settled on her bed.

Nozomi made herself comfortable on the futon and closed her eyes. “Good night, Elichi.”

Eli hummed. “Good night and sweet dreams…”

“Sweet dreams…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Talk to me on twitter/tumblr @eSerenityyyy :) I've started posting my older one-shots on tumblr so please check it out!
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	24. Trip to Russia III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day! Sorry again for the delay, here's a slightly longer chapter to make up for it. :) Also, we've reached 50k words yay!
> 
> I hope you'd like it :)

_Eli stood alone in the middle of the street. There were many people busy in their own worlds. Cars moving at high speeds, crowd walking in different directions, the sun was slowly setting down._

_She looked around and saw an all too familiar hall that she’d rather have forgotten. She slowly approached it, breath heavy with each step. Everything was blurry, but she could see it well. Her chest was thumping as she walked closer and closer._

_She arrived in front of the place. The hall itself from the outside didn’t really stand out much. Dull colors, small size, unnoticeable area. Amidst all the noise coming from everywhere, Eli heard a muffled sob._

_Turning around, she saw a young girl with her back facing her. Her blonde hair was tied in a tight bun and she seemed to wear a white tutu. Seeing her, Eli felt a pang of pain in her chest._

_Eli approached her. But before she could touch her shoulder, the little girl turned around and looked directly into her eyes. Her tearful eyes were icy blue, much like Eli’s._

_Eli gaped at the sight of the girl’s face. “Me..?”_

_“Are you… really happy with her?” the girl suddenly asked, in Russian. She had stopped crying, but there were still tears in her eyes._

_“Huh?” Eli blinked in confusion, surprised by the girl’s sudden question._

_“Do you love her as much as you think so?” the girl asked another question._

_“What? Wh-”_

_“Or do you just want your friends to be complete again?” the girl interrupted._

_Eli couldn’t utter another word. Without knowing why, she herself was tearing up. She stared at the girl in front of her who looked just like her when she was young._

_“You know, I’ve always wanted to have friends.” The girl looked down. “But I’m always such a failure…”_

_Eli remained speechless, and instead just listened to the girl._

_“But that’s why I’m glad you met her!” The girl looked back up to Eli and grinned. “And them! You have such awesome friends, I’m kind of jealous.”_

_“Ah, but don’t mind me!” the girl continued, “just think real hard about her, okay? I’m sure you love her, but do you really? Ah! I’m not making much sense, am I?” She giggled._

_The girl suddenly looked around, as if searching for something she heard. She looked at Eli’s eyes and said, “just think about it, alright? I need to go now, my obaa-sama is looking for me!” She turned around and ran, but not before Eli caught a glimpse of her smile that seemed to assure her of something._

_“Wait!” Eli finally spoke, reaching for the girl’s back. But before she knew it, the young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes already vanished._

 

Eli opened her eyes slowly and stared at nothingness.

 _“A dream..?”_ she asked herself. She realized she was still crying for reasons she didn’t know. She touched her cheek and looked at her tears through her fingers. _“Nozomi..?”_

She wiped her face with the back of her hand as she sat up to look for Nozomi. She saw her still asleep on the futon with a smile gracing her soft lips.

Eli herself smiled at the sight and stood up. She carefully and silently went out of the room. She washed her face and proceeded to the living room. She found her grandmother seated on the couch, knitting again.

“Good morning,” she greeted. She placed a small kiss on her cheek before sitting down beside her.

“Good morning, my darling Elichika! Sleep well?” asked her grandmother.

“Mhm,” Eli answered, “it really is different sleeping in here, it’s _comfier_ and feels more like home.” She smiled and took her own knitting materials to pick up where she had left off the day before.

“You say that, but you’re just really a sleepyhead!” the old lady joked and gave a small laugh.

“Obaa-sama!” Eli pouted.

“I’m just kidding!” The lady’s voice softened, “you’re always welcome here, Elichika.”

Eli beamed and almost teared up. Almost, until her grandmother spoke again. “Where’s Nozomi, by the way? Still asleep?”

“Ah yes, it’s still early so I didn’t wake her up,” answered Eli. And indeed, it was still early. It was just six in the morning when she woke up from the dream that left her _confused_. Her thoughts came back into that dream, but she immediately brushed it off, wanting to enjoy the morning with her beloved obaa-sama. “Is Alisa still sleeping too? Where’s mama?” she asked.

“They’re in the kitchen, preparing breakfast,” said the old lady. “You should call Nozomi soon after they’re done so we can all eat together.”

“Mhm,” Eli agreed.

“Speaking of Nozomi,” the old lady said, “you should go take her out later.”

“Huh?”

“I did say I wanted to see her, but don’t you think it’d be boring being stuck here with an old woman like me?” Her grandmother chuckled. “You should go and date her later. Take her to the park where I used to bring you when you were a child. Go sightseeing. It’s her first time here, right?”

Eli hesitated. _‘Go date her?’_ It’s not like they’re really a couple, right? They were, though, in the mind of obaa-sama. Would Nozomi accept if she invited her out? Would she be mad? Would it be too much? Eli could list a number of reasons on why Nozomi would hate her if she was to ask her out. But then again, maybe it really was boring Nozomi staying in the house for five days. And Eli would really like to visit some old places again. Who’s better to take with her than her _love_? Maybe she’d like the places too. She hoped. But how about…

“Sure,” she said, “but how about we take Alisa too?” How about she took Alisa too, so it wouldn’t be too awkward for her gay heart?

The old lady frowned a bit. “Baby Ali has a knitting appointment with me later! And she already went around the area last week with your mother. Besides, don’t you want to spend some time alone with Nozomi? I bet she’d be happy to go!”

Oh. So Alisa already went, huh? Eli sighed. There’s no way she could take her grandmother out there too. She’d be too tired for it. “Okay then,” she forced a smile, “I’ll go ask her later.”

“Great!” Her grandmother beamed. She really loved both of her granddaughters and she wanted them to spend as much time as possible with the ones they loved.

Eli let out a small genuine smile at the happiness she saw on her obaa-sama’s face. Still, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty over everything. She pondered about how long she would be able to keep up this lie.

The both of them turned back to their task at hand which was knitting. Eli was making Alisa a pair of mittens since the younger woman told her that her current pair was wearing off for it was old. Her grandmother was knitting mittens too, but she noticed it was different than the one she was working on yesterday. Did she already finish that one? It seemed like she was knitting a lot of mittens, and Eli wondered why. But she shrugged it off, maybe obaa-sama just wanted to do something to make use of her time. She just hoped the old lady wasn’t overworking herself.

A while later, Alisa called them for breakfast. Eli arranged their materials and helped her grandmother stand up. Alisa switched and assisted the old lady to the dining room.

Eli went up to her room to call Nozomi. She breathed deeply before twisting the doorknob open, unsure why she did so. She found her still covered in blankets and clutching a pillow close to her chest.

“…lichi…” she heard her mumble. Did she call her? Did she call her _in her sleep_? Was she smiling? Was she smiling _while calling_ Eli _in her sleep_? Eli’s face heated up.

She unknowingly held her breath and slowly walked to Nozomi to wake her up.

She bent down and let out her breath. She gently tapped the purple-haired’s shoulder and called, “Nozomi.”

The said girl stirred and opened her eyes slowly. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light and blinked. And then, she sat up as she realized Eli was waking her up. “Elichi?” she asked, her voice still a bit hoarse from the sleep.

Eli smiled and said, “breakfast is ready, let’s go eat.” She offered her hand to help her up and she accepted.

“What time is it?” Nozomi asked, somewhat surprised that Eli was already up before her. Even back then, Nozomi was the one who woke up first, as the blonde liked the comforts of her bed.

“Just a quarter before seven,” Eli answered. “Did I wake you up too early?” she worried.

Nozomi shook her head. “No, no, I’m just…” she paused, “nevermind, I’ll just go wash my face and I’ll be there.”

“I’ll wait here for you then,” Eli said.

“Ah, you don’t need to, I’ll be downstairs in a bit.” Nozomi turned to fix the futon.

“I-I have something to ask you, Nozomi,” Eli suddenly said. She bit her lip and her eyes darted around.

Nozomi looked at her, “what is it?” She was surprised and concerned because Eli looked really serious and nervous.

“C-Can you go out with me later? Obaa-sama said I should take you out and to that park we used to go to and I know this is probably too much but I don’t want to disappoint her and and a—” Eli stuttered and was interrupted by Nozomi.

“Elichi calm down! You don’t have to be so nervous, you’re just asking me to go sightseeing! Which is just normal for someone new in a country.” She giggled. “And yes, let’s go out later. I don’t wanna disappoint obaa-san too.”

Eli’s face flushed red in embarrassment. “S-Sorry,” she sheepishly said.

Nozomi shrugged, “geez, no need to apologize!” She turned back to the futon and fixed it.

“O-Okay then.” Eli sat on the edge of her bed, earning her a questioning look from Nozomi. “I’ll wait here for you.”

Nozomi sighed. “Alright.” She guessed it was pointless to argue with her at this point.

So they had a fun breakfast with Eli’s family. Eli’s nerves were a little calmed down compared to earlier and she was now looking forward to her ~~date~~ sightseeing with Nozomi.

After eating, they assisted Eli’s grandmother to the living room and they just watched an old Japanese movie. It was a romantic comedy one that led the old lady to tease Eli, making Alisa and Nozomi laugh.

When the movie ended, Nozomi and Eli each took turns taking a shower and preparing to go out. Eli took a mental note of some of the places she wanted to take Nozomi to.

When the two were dressed up, they stood before the door of the house, facing Eli’s grandmother and sister.

“Then, we’re off!” said Eli. “We’d be back home before six.”

The old lady let out a small laugh, “you’re not kids anymore, go and enjoy yourselves!”

Nozomi giggled, “yes, obaa-san!”

Eli just gave them a small smile. “We’d be going then.”

“Take care!” Alisa and their grandmother chorused.

Their first destination was a local library near the house. Eli apologized for choosing there to go first, for it wasn’t really a place someone would go for _sightseeing_. There wasn’t even anything to see there aside from, well, books. But the blonde just wanted to visit it again after a long time. She said she used to go there a lot when she was a kid since she didn’t really have anyone to play with besides Alisa. This earned her a concerned look on Nozomi’s face, but she simply brushed it off, saying she did enjoy the time with herself.

They stayed there for a while, with Eli showing Nozomi her old favorite picture books and novels. Nozomi was amazed at the variety of books the small library had. There were even some that were written in Japanese and the purple-haired sat to read one.

By the moment they each finished reading a short novel, it was almost lunch time. Eli suggested a place whose name Nozomi couldn’t even pronounce properly. It was a short walk from where they were. It was a relatively small family restaurant. Its size and atmosphere had a homey feel to it.

Although not a big fancy restaurant, its food didn’t disappoint. There was a sweet blend of flavors and Eli beamed. What really got her exciting though, was the chocolate-flavored dessert. Her eyes were practically shining and sparkling at the treat and Nozomi couldn’t help but admire the look on the blonde’s face.

Their next stop was a shrine. Eli said she didn’t really go there when she was still living in Russia, but she thought maybe Nozomi would enjoy being there. It was located on top of a small hill and the view from up above there was splendid. They could feel the fresh air being emitted by the trees kissing their skins.

The place made Nozomi feel calm and at peace. There weren’t much people visiting and she truly did enjoy being there.

Seeing Eli in front of an amazing view of the sky was a bonus too. It made the purple-haired smile, if only a little bit.

Meanwhile on Eli’s end, her mouth gaped the moment she saw Nozomi’s eyes filled with excitement, and yet, contentment. Did she look _this_ stunning before in a shrine? Her heart fluttered every time Nozomi smiled oh so sweetly and happily. She was glad that the purple-haired was truly enjoying herself.

They prayed and left some messages on the charms before leaving and moving on to their next place.

Their next place was a few minute ride from the shrine. It turned out to be the park that Eli’s grandmother mentioned. It was a small children’s park filled with seesaws, swings, and slides.

“It’s childish, I know,” Eli said softly, “but obaa-sama said to take you here, so here we are.”

Nozomi smiled, knowing why the old lady wanted them to come here. She had talked to the purple-haired about how she wanted Eli to spend more time for herself and for them. “So what if it’s childish? It looks fun here!”

“Huh?” Eli looked at her questioningly.

Nozomi suddenly took hold of her hand and pulled her to direction of the swings. “Let’s play!” She grinned.

Eli could’ve sworn she saw a beautiful goddess adorning her view.

Nozomi let go of Eli’s hand, taking her out of her trance, and sat at one of the swings. She motioned for Eli to sit at the one beside her and the blonde did so.

They looked at each other and Nozomi gave her another smile. They both turned to what’s in front of them and saw little children peacefully enjoying the park. There were only a few of them, since it was still a bit early than their usual play time.

Still, the sight gave them a slight pinch in their hearts.

For Eli, she remembered how her grandmother was the only playmate she had. Little Alisa still couldn’t walk so only she and her obaa-sama could come. The lady would walk her there and tell her it was okay to make friends and play with other kids. But she would get too shy and scared, so she would come back to her obaa-sama’s arms and they would play together in the corner.

For Nozomi, she had nothing to remember. She had no chance to play at a park like this when she was a child. She was moving a lot with her parents from place to place that she wouldn’t bother to check the area for playgrounds anymore. She wouldn’t even bother to make friends anymore for she knew she would just leave them soon. Books became her sole companion. They were her friends that told her many different stories that she wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience due to her circumstances.

Nozomi looked down and kicked the ground to make her swing. She was trying to brush away the negative feelings residing in her chest. For now, she would just enjoy the day with Eli.

Eli seemed to notice her uneasiness and tried to lift the mood. She swung herself just slowly and talked.

“The children are so lively, aren’t they?” she hesitantly said. She was unsure if that would hit a sensitive spot or not.

Thankfully, Nozomi answered with attempted cheerfulness, “yeah, must be good to be young!”

Eli chuckled. “You talk as if you’re so old! We’re only on our twenties, you know?”

“Ah, you’re right. Sometimes I forget I’m still young when I take care of Rin-chan as if I’m her mother.” The purple-haired let out a small laugh.

“Rin can be a handful sometimes, are you doing fine?” Eli asked with genuine concern.

A warm smile spread across Nozomi’s lips. “She can be, but I can see her maturing. She’s such a caring and sweet one, I wouldn’t have her any other way.”

Eli smiled a little sadly.

They continued talking about random small things for a while with the occasional laughs and smiles. Before they knew it, more kids started to come and play. The park became livelier and filled with happy noises.

A ball rolled off to their direction and halted at Nozomi’s feet, causing them to stop their conversation midway. A boy ran to them seeking for the ball. Nozomi picked it up and was about to give it back when the boy suddenly spoke, “do you want to play with us?” The question was said in Russian and Nozomi gave Eli a confused look, asking for a translation.

Eli whispered in Japanese, “he’s asking if you want to play with them.”

Another boy came, followed by a girl. “We’re playing volleyball!” he said.

“He said they’re playing volleyball,” said Eli. “Do you want to play?”

Nozomi pondered about it for a moment but saw no harm in doing so, so she nodded. “Let’s play.”

Eli spoke to the little kids in Russian and learned that they’re two players short. They agreed to play and was led by the kids to the area where they were playing.

They ended up on different teams, with the kids saying it’s only fair for them to separate. The game started, and they played and played. Eli’s team was winning, but Nozomi’s wasn’t giving up.

The two played just as children would, with no care in everything. It was like they were stuck up in their own little world with the kids. They laughed and yelled and ran and jumped.

In the end, Eli’s team still won but there were no hard feelings from Nozomi’s.

The sun was already starting to set into the horizon when they finished the game. They were all exhausted and Eli decided to treat the little ones some desserts.

“Alright everyone!” Eli called out in Russian, “who wants ice cream?”

The children cheered and raised their hands excitedly. Eli chuckled and turned back to Nozomi, “let’s go buy them ice cream over there.” She pointed at a nearby stand.

Nozomi smiled and nodded as she let herself be led by Eli to the stand.

They bought their treats and returned back to the children. They handed them out and got themselves each too.

The little kids thanked them with hugs and they sat at the ground while eating their cold treats. Eli and Nozomi sat back on the swings. Gentle smiles formed on their lips as they watched the children in front of them with fondness.

The familiarity of the scene sent a pang of sadness to Eli’s heart. She remembered those times when she would sit with Nozomi just like this and watch over their friends in Muse playing around. The memories were happy, yet, sad and lonely at the same time.

She was so carried away that before she knew it, “hey, do you remember when we used to eat parfaits like this back then?” it already slipped out.

She only realized what she had said when she noticed that Nozomi suddenly tensed. She was about to open her mouth to speak and tell her to ignore what she said when Nozomi spoke, “yes, I remember.”

Eli froze for a moment but relaxed when she didn’t see any signs of Nozomi taking offense. She breathed deeply and said, “you know, now that we’re talking again, I’ve realized that… I miss those days more than I thought… those days back when we’re…” she trailed off and casted her eyes down.

“Mhm,” Nozomi paused, “…me too…”

“Do you think we can…” Eli sent her a sad hopeful smile.

Nozomi looked at her and returned the smile. “Elichi, we already talked about this, right?”

Although the statement was somewhat rejecting, Nozomi’s tone was soft and gentle. Eli understood.

“Yeah, sorry, I understand. But we can make new memories now, right..?” And this time, she hoped Nozomi would agree.

“Yes,” Nozomi nodded and grinned, “yes, we can.”

Eli beamed and almost jumped to hug Nozomi before she remembered where and what they were. Nevertheless, she was truly glad that Nozomi was willing to let her into her life again.

Soon, they finished their treats and the kids bade them farewell as the night started to set in.

They stayed there for a while, reveling in the night sky and cold breeze.

And then, they decided to call it a day and return to Eli’s home.

The ride home was silent, but a comfortable one that was. They enjoyed each other’s presence and warmth, so they didn’t need any more words.

They arrived home safe, and Alisa and their grandmother welcomed them back.

They were just in time for dinner with the family. They talked about how their day while eating and they could see the joy in obaa-sama’s eyes.

After, Eli let Nozomi take a warm bath first, to freshen up and relieve the tiredness. Nozomi gratefully accepted. Eli was next to bathe and they tucked in Eli’s grandmother together.

They then went to Eli’s room to turn in for the night. It was once again Nozomi’s turn on the bed, so Eli fixed her futon below. They lied down on their respective places and smiled.

“Good night, and sweet dreams, Elichi,” Nozomi said as she covered herself with a blanket. “Thank you for today.”

“Mhm, good night, Nozomi…” Eli closed her eyes. “Sweet dreams…”

And with that, Eli drifted off to sleep, her dream earlier all but forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I also wanna thank @JaredBaniaga on twitter for some ideas!
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	25. Trip to Russia IV

On their fourth night of staying in the blonde’s grandmother’s home, Nozomi and Eli sat beside each other as they enjoyed watching a movie together with the old lady and Alisa. The movie was in Japanese, a language they’re all comfortable in.

When the movie finished, it was already bedtime. So, they helped grandmother to her feet, so they could tuck her in bed.

However, the moment the old lady attempted to stand up, she fell back instead. Luckily, Eli’s arms were there to catch her.

“Obaa-sama!?” Eli called out in panic. Her eyes widened, as well as Nozomi’s and Alisa’s.

But the old lady didn’t answer. She clutched her left chest, obviously in pain. She furrowed her brows, not wanting to close her eyes.

“Obaa-sama, what’s wrong!?” Eli sat her back on the couch. “Obaa-sama!?”

“Elichi, calm down.” Nozomi put her hand on Eli’s shoulder.

Eli looked at her and exclaimed, “but-!”

“Elichi. You’re not helping,” Nozomi said softly. “Calm down and we’ll handle this, okay?”

Eli nodded and turned back to her grandmother who was already having a hard time to breathe. She tried her best to stabilize her breathing, but it wasn’t helping at all. Her grip tightened to her chest and Eli’s hand. A second after, the old lady fainted.

“Obaa-sama!” Eli yelled as tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.

Nozomi immediately put two fingers on the old lady’s wrist. “She still has a pulse.”

“I’m calling a cab!” Alisa said and rushed to the telephone. She also called their mother, who was then staying out to meet an old friend, to inform her.

A moment later, the taxi came, and Eli carried her unconscious grandmother inside. Nozomi went with her and Alisa opted to stay behind and said she would come later with her mother.

They arrived at the hospital and rushed the old lady to the emergency room. A pair of nurses came out with a stretcher and Eli laid her grandmother on it.

“Please! Save her! Save her!” Eli cried out.

A nurse just nodded and took the old lady inside the emergency room. The other one asked, “what happened, ma’am?”

Eli was a crying mess and unable to answer, repeatedly pleading to the nurse to save her grandmother. Nozomi, on the other hand, didn’t know what to say for she didn’t understand the Russian question. She just hoped what she was thinking was right and muttered in English, “h-heart attack?” Thankfully, the nurse seemed to understand and nodded before going to the room herself.

Nozomi turned to Eli and embraced her. “She’ll be alright,” she whispered, “she’s going to be fine.” She rubbed circles across the blonde’s back. After a while, Eli’s cry had been reduced to small sobs and she pulled back. Nozomi wiped her remaining tears with her thumbs and gave her a smile. “Let’s go to the waiting area?”

Eli nodded and with one last sob, she turned around to read the signs, searching for the waiting area. When she found it, she took Nozomi’s hand and led her there.

They sat beside each other in silence. Eli hung her head low, biting her lip to prevent herself from crying. She was praying hard for her grandmother to be safe. A soft whimper escaped her mouth and Nozomi gently took her hand. She didn’t protest, for she really needed someone at that moment.

Nozomi gave her hand a little squeeze and said softly, “hey, it’ll be alright. Obaa-san will be safe...”

Eli suddenly broke down in tears again and buried her face on Nozomi’s shoulder. “I-I can’t lose her, Nozomi! She-I-I love her s-so much I just can’t lose her!”

Nozomi let go of the blonde’s hand and wrapped her arms around her. “Shhh, don’t cry now, the doctors are doing their best to save obaa-san.”

“But-but what if their best isn’t enough? I don’t know what I’d do without her...” The blonde clutched Nozomi’s shirt and the purple-haired stroked her hair in a comforting manner.

“She’d be okay, Elichi, trust me...” They both stayed like that, with Eli holding on to Nozomi while the latter continued to whisper soothing words to help her.

An hour later, Eli was asleep in Nozomi’s arms. The place was relatively quiet save for some chatters from the people passing by and the tick of the clock that hung just above the door that led to the emergency rooms. Nozomi was silently supplicating to the gods for the health of Eli’s grandmother.

A while later, Nozomi saw a doctor came out of the room. He looked around and his eyes landed on the pair. He approached them and asked something that Nozomi couldn’t understand. So she gently tapped Eli’s shoulder to wake her up.

Eli opened her eyes and immediately stood up when she saw the doctor in front of them. Nozomi followed suit and watched as Eli conversed with the doctor. Her eyes lit up when she saw Eli let out a sigh of relief and repeatedly muttered a word that seemed to be of gratefulness. The doctor nodded for the last time before walking away.

Eli turned back to Nozomi with a smile. But before the purple-haired could ask anything, she was already embracing her. “S-She’s okay! Obaa-sama is fine now!” she cried.

Nozomi beamed and reciprocated the action. “I’m so glad...”

When they pulled back, Eli said, “he said her vital signs are back to normal and we just have to wait for her to wake up. They’re moving her in a room upstairs.”

Nozomi nodded. “That’s good then! We should tell Alisa-chan!”

“Mhm,” Eli agreed, “I’ll call her now.” She took her phone out and called Alisa to tell her the good news. Alisa then told her that she’d be there in a bit with their mother.

They arrived and after two more hours, grandmother still hadn’t woken up. Eli’s mother suggested Eli and Nozomi to go home and take a rest while she and Alisa watch over and wait for the old lady to wake up. Eli was reluctant at first, saying that she wanted to be there as soon as her grandmother woke up. She gave in when her mother assured her that they would immediately call them when the time came.

While in the cab on the way back to the old lady’s home, Eli called, “hey, Nozomi?”

The purple-haired turned to her with a smile, “hmm?”

“Is it okay if you go back home to Japan later by yourself? I want to stay here a bit longer for obaa-sama...” Eli asked.

“I’ll stay with you then,” Nozomi replied.

“N-No, no, you don’t have to,” Eli waved a hand dismissively, “we only agreed for five days, it’ll be too much for me to ask you to stay too...”

Nozomi shook her head and said, “it’s alright. It’s my own will to stay. I want to make sure obaa-san’s fine too before we go back.”

“Are you sure?” As much as Eli wanted Nozomi to remain with her too, she didn’t really want to be too much of a bother to the purple-haired.

“Mhm,” Nozomi nodded, “I’ll just call Nicochi that we’ll be here for a while longer.”

“Thank you,” Eli said softly. “Thanks so much for being with me, Nozomi...” She resisted the urge to hold the other’s hand and just smiled.

Nozomi returned the smile and said, “no worries, Elichi.”

When they got home though, Eli’s worries still hadn’t subsided. She paced back and forth in her room, with Nozomi following her with her eyes.

“Elichi, calm down already,” Nozomi said, already dizzy. “It’s already midnight, you should sleep.”

“But-”

“Obaa-san’s safe now. She’s just sleeping. She doesn’t want you to worry so much.” Nozomi gave her a somewhat pleading look.

“But-” Eli sighed. “Okay, I’m sorry. I just can’t help it, really.”

“I understand. But you should really get some sleep now, so you’d have enough energy to see her when she wakes up.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Eli said softly, still unsure. She took out the futon and attempted to prepare it. Attempted, because Nozomi suddenly stopped her.

“You’re on bed tonight, Elichi,” the purple-haired said.

“I know, but... it’s only right to give you the bed. I made you stay up late after all.” Eli smiled. “Let me do this, at least.”

“An agreement is an agreement, Elichi. Besides, you’re more stressed than I am!” Nozomi gently swatted Eli’s hand which held the futon and took it.

“Please?” Eli asked.

Nozomi chuckled. “Geez, you really are so stubborn!”

“I’m sorry…” Eli looked down.

“It’s okay.” Nozomi softened up and sat on the bed. “How about I sleep with you then?”

“Eh?” Eli thought that was a joke but Nozomi didn’t laugh and seemed sincere too. “Are you sure?”

“Mhm,” Nozomi nodded, “I’m guessing you could use some company too.” The purple-haired knew that in times like this that Eli was so worried and stressed, she shouldn’t be left alone, or she’d cry herself to sleep.

“O-Okay...” Eli slowly proceeded to the bed with Nozomi moving and making space for her.

They lied beside each other facing opposite directions and with some space between them that the rather small bed would allow them to have.

Nozomi noticed Eli’s heavy breathing so she turned around and said, “it’s okay if you want to hug me while you sleep.”

Eli slowly faced her and wrapped an arm around Nozomi’s waist, hiding her face on the latter’s head. She muttered, “thank you...”

Nozomi leaned on her and said, “mhm, good night, Elichi.”

 

Morning came, and Eli woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. It was her mother. She immediately stood up, being careful not to wake Nozomi in her arms.

Her mother told her that her grandmother was awake and fine. She said that the old lady was looking for Eli and wanted to talk to her too.

Eli smiled and told her she’d be there soon. She ended the call and put her phone down. She contemplated on waking Nozomi up or not, but she decided on the latter. She figured she still needed some rest since it was still early.

She left a note on her bedside table before leaving. It contained the good news and that she’d be at the hospital.

When she arrived at her grandmother’s room, the old lady motioned for her to come closer and she immediately embraced her. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

“There, there, my Elichika, sorry for worrying you...” her grandmother said, patting her head.

“Excuse us,” Alisa said, “mama and I will get breakfast. Do you want anything in particular?”

Eli shook her head, “anything’s fine by me.”

“Me too,” said the old lady. Alisa nodded and went outside with their mother.

Eli sat at the chair beside the bed. “Are you really feeling alright now? Nothing hurts?” she asked.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” The old lady grinned.

“That’s good... You wanted to talk to me?”

“Oh, yes,” her grandmother took her hand, “I just want to say I’m so proud of you, my darling Elichika...”

“Obaa-sama?” Eli asked, not wanting to imagine what this talk would lead to.

“You’ve really grown into a fine woman. Beautiful... hardworking... intelligent.... caring, and loving... all the things that a grandmother could’ve asked for her granddaughter...”

“Obaa-sama!?” Eli repeated. Tears were threatening to come out.

The old lady shook her head and chuckled, “I’m not dying! I just really want you to know how much I love you and I’m really really proud of you and your sister.”

Eli sighed in relief. “I love you too, obaa-sama... so much...”

“I won’t mind dying now though,” the old lady half-joked, “’cause I know you can stand on your own feet already. And you have so many people around you who love and care for you as much as I do...”

“Don’t talk like that!” Eli scolded as a tear escaped from her eye.

“It’s true though,” her grandmother shrugged, “you have Nozomi with you too. And Alisa already has her own person too. I’m relieved that my beloved granddaughters are in good hands.”

Eli’s heart was shot with guilt at the mention of the purple-haired. She knew the old lady deserved to know the truth but was this the right time to tell her?

As if sensing her uneasiness, her grandmother spoke again, “don’t worry, I know she still loves you.”

Eli’s eyes widened. “O-Obaa-sama?”

The old lady let out a small laugh. “Did you think you can keep a secret from your obaa-sama?”

“How did you know? Who told you?”

“A grandmother always feels her grandchildren’s worries, you know?” The old lady chuckled. “No one told me, I just knew it.”

“Why didn’t you say something..?” Eli asked.

“What for?” The old lady looked at her in the eyes. “I know how much you care for each other and you’ll eventually be together again. You just gotta let time help heal you.” She smiled and squeezed her hand.

Eli teared up and buried her face on the old lady’s hands. “I love you, obaa-sama... so, so much... thank you...”

The old lady placed a kiss on top of her head. “You’re always welcome, my dear... Obaa-sama loves you so much... Now you just gotta promise me one thing, okay?”

Eli raised her head again, “you’re talking like you’re leaving again.” She pouted. “But what is it? Anything for you, obaa-sama.”

“You gotta win her back, okay?”

Eli opened her mouth to protest but no words came. She looked down and said, “what if she doesn’t want to be with me anymore? I’m fine just being her friend...”

“Are you really? C’mon, Elichika, I told you you can’t keep a secret from me!” The old lady giggled. “Just trust yourself and your feelings, okay? You shouldn’t let her go.”

Eli’s eyes lit up and she nodded. “Mhm! Thank you, obaa-sama.”

“Anything for my clever and cute Elichika.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Note: I don't really know much about heart attacks and such, so if it seemed kinda unrealistic or something, I'm sorry and please do tell me. Thanks again!
> 
> Talk to me on twitter/tumblr @eSerenityyyy :)
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	26. Sparkle in her Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day!
> 
> Delayed again, I'm sorry. School started and I was (still am) drained lol anyway I'll try to catch up on this and I hope you enjoy reading! Oh and also, belated happy 1st birthday (anniversary) to this fic! ❤️ Hope you read the first side-story~ I'll be working on the next ones soon ^^

A day after Eli’s talk with her grandmother, the old lady was discharged from the hospital. Everyone was being extra careful and protective of her that she found it annoying. “Geez, don’t treat me like a small child, I told you I’m alright now!” she said. But they couldn’t really help it. They loved the old lady so much and they don’t want her to be hurt nor suffer.

Five days passed, and it was time for Nozomi and Eli to go back to Japan. Eli wanted to stay more but the old lady insisted that she’d be fine and told her not to neglect her work just because of her. Eli said she didn’t really mind taking a break from work for her, but her grandmother seemed to be as stubborn as her, so she sighed and gave in.

So, the pair now stood at the door of their home, each carrying their suitcase.  Alisa wanted to see them off at the airport, but they told her they’d be fine, and she should just stay there for the old lady.

They each gave the old lady and Alisa a warm and gentle hug.

“Oh, right, before I forget, I have something for you,” said the old lady. She turned to Alisa. “Alisa, get the things I asked you to prepare please.”

Nozomi and Eli looked at her questioningly, but she just flashed a smile.

Alisa came back with a small bag and gave it to Eli. Nozomi and Eli took a look inside it and found seven pairs of different colored handknitted mittens.

“They’re presents for your friends. Tell them that I really appreciate them helping out my dear Elichika,” the old lady explained. She turned to Alisa again and the younger woman nodded. Alisa then gave a lilac-colored scarf. “And that one’s for you, Nozomi, for always taking care of her.” She gave them a warm smile.

Nozomi stared at the scarf in her hand and then to the old lady. “Obaa-san… thank you.” She stepped and gave her another embrace. The old lady patted her head as she returned the action.

When they pulled away, Eli pouted and spoke. “None for me?”

The old lady chuckled and said, “I thought you liked the cold?”

“Yes, but-”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it later,” her grandmother said with a wink. Eli was confused and opened her mouth to speak but the old lady beat her to it. “You should go. You wouldn’t want to miss your flight now, do you?”

“Eh-” Eli sighed, guessing it’s useless to argue. “Okay. We’ll be going now then. Be careful, okay? Listen to Alisa about your diet.”

The old lady giggled. “Yes, yes, oh so clever Elichika.”

“And Alisa,” Eli turned to her sister, “don’t you give in on her antics, okay? Don’t be fooled by her and make sure she takes her medicines.”

Alisa shot a look to her grandmother before going back to Eli. “Yes, onee-chan.”

Eli’s mother came out to bid them goodbye and gave them a hug. “Message me when you get home, okay?” said her.

“I will,” said Eli.

“Take care, alright?” the old lady said, “remember you’re always welcome to come back here anytime.”

“Thank you, obaa-san,” said Nozomi. “Take care of yourself too!”

Eli smiled and said, “see you in a few months then, I’ll come visit again.”

They embraced for the last time before the cab that they called came and they left the home with smiles plastered on their faces.

They arrived at the airport just in time and boarded the plane. Eli sat beside the window with Nozomi on her other side. The blonde looked out the window and Nozomi noticed her concerned expression.

“Are you still worried?” asked Nozomi.

Eli slowly turned to her and said, “well… yes. I just really couldn’t help it. I’ll hate myself if she leaves without me by her side.” She looked down with a pained countenance. She didn’t really know what she would do if she lost the old lady.

Nozomi patted her shoulder and said, “she’d be okay. Alisa and your mother are there with her. Besides,” she took something out from her bag and showed it to Eli. “we made this for you, so you won’t get lonely.” It was the blue scarf that Nozomi was knitting the other day. The old lady added some details here and there to make it special.

Eli clutched the scarf close to her, relishing the soothing scent that it gave off. It smelt just like home.

“I know you love the cold than the heat, but we wanted you to feel our warmth too…” Nozomi added.

“Thank you…” mumbled Eli. “Thank you so much…” She buried her face on Nozomi’s shoulder. She really didn’t know how to thank the purple-haired enough. She had done so much for her and her grandmother and she had no idea how to return the kindness that she gave.

“Mhm, you’re welcome, Elichi…” Nozomi ruffled her hair a little before the blonde pulled back. The purple-haired was more than happy to be able to help Eli and her grandmother. She realized she might have missed being so relaxed and interacting with people outside of work. That’s why she, too, was grateful for this trip.

The blonde gave her a smile and it was gladly returned.

They then went back to their own worlds just like they did in their flight to Russia. This time though, the silence between them was more comfortable and they felt more at ease in each other’s side.

Eli’s mind drifted to the woman beside her. Different feelings and emotions clashed inside her. Comfort, bliss, loneliness, sadness, guilt, uncertainty. She didn’t know what to do. Should she make a move to advance her relationship with her? Although honestly she wanted to, it really wouldn’t be so bad if they remained just as friends. It would be sad, yes, and it would hurt. But at least she got to see her smile and make her happy, right? Nozomi’s happiness was more than enough for Eli.

The uncertainty just grew when she remembered the dream she had the other day. She _knew_ she _loved_ her. She really did. So what did that mean? Did that really mean anything in the first place?

_Maybe she just really didn’t…._

Her thoughts were cut off when she felt a weight on her shoulder. She turned. And then… she saw it.

The warmth that she desperately sought for in the past years. The joy that made her life a whole lot worth living for. The strength that she needed to push forward. The twist that put excitement in her world. The tenderness that filled her heart.

It was just there, all in that sleeping face of the woman that she adored oh so much.

_No, Elichika. I love her._

Eli smiled as a tear dropped from her eye and guessed it wasn’t bad to be a bit selfish in that moment.

She gently lifted Nozomi’s head up to put an arm under her neck. She let the purple-haired rest on her chest while she leaned on top of her head. Her arms surrounded her love into security as she closed her eyes to join her in dreamland.

\--

They arrived in Japan at early morning and Eli saw Nozomi off in her apartment. The purple-haired invited her to stay for a bit for tea or coffee but as much as she wanted to accept, she declined. She saw Nozomi’s suppressed yawns and told her she should already rest. The purple-haired bode her goodbye and she went off with a smile.

Nozomi just changed her clothes into more comfortable ones and went to sleep.

When she woke up, it was already nearing lunch time. She didn’t really feel sleepy anymore, so she got up and took a quick shower. When she was done, she went out to grab some lunch for Nico and the others at the studio before proceeding there.

She arrived just in time for their lunch break. As usual, she used her keys to go in through the back door. The sight of Nico’s annoyed face welcomed her.

“Woah, what’s the matter, Nicochi?” Nozomi asked casually, as if she’d always been there.

“Those three are at it agai—Nozomi!?” Nico exclaimed, surprised by her friend’s sudden appearance. She stood up. “I thought you’re coming back to work tomorrow?”

Nozomi shrugged. “I don’t have anything to do today so I dropped by. What? You don’t want to see me?" She asked dramatically, acting as if hurt by her friend’s question.

Nico just rolled her eyes, earning her a giggle from the purple-haired.

“Anyway,” said Nozomi, “where’s the others?”

“They’re just finishing the last edits,” answered Nico, “Rin’s teaching them some stuff. They’d be here soon.”

“Ah, that’s good then! I brought us lunch!” Nozomi grinned as she held the paper bags up to show their food.

“So, how’s your trip?” Nico figured she might as well ask, while they’re still alone.

“Fun,” Nozomi replied, “other than obaa-san going to the hospital, it was fun and refreshing.” It was true. The purple-haired experienced some things that she never gave herself the chance to feel for the past years. She enjoyed the company of the family that still loved her over the years. “I learned a lot too.” She smiled. She was glad she agreed to go with Eli to the blonde’s hometown.

Hearing those answers brought out a small smile from Nico’s lips. She was happy that Nozomi was letting herself relax and have time thinking about something other than work. “That’s good then,” she said. “How’s she doing now?”

“She says she’s good,” Nozomi said, “the doctor said she’d be fine too, they just need to keep an eye on her and make sure she takes her medicines.” She smiled at the memory of the old lady complaining why someone always tailed her. “She’s still as lively as ever.”

“That’s a relief,” Nico nodded, “how about you? And Eli?” She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“What about us?” Nozomi asked, _trying_ to play innocent. “We’re okay?”

“That’s it? Nothing special happened?” Nico was sure that _something_ must had happened at the least. She thought it was impossible that they spent two weeks with each other and nothing changed.

Nozomi shook her head and smiled.  “We’re just happy, as friends. That’s all.” In a sense, that’s really the truth. There was no pressure, no commitments, no more awkwardness. They’re just… happy.

Nico opened her mouth, but no words came out. So she just returned the smile, seeing the sincerity in the purple-haired’s words.

Suddenly, the door flung open, making the two of them face it.

“Is that Nozomi-chan nya!?” Rin came in and her eyes lit up at the sight of her older friend. She immediately tackled the girl the way she always did. Chika and Yoshiko were right behind her.

Nozomi giggled as she reciprocated the hug. “Hi, Rin-chan! How are you?” Rin’s energy never failed to make her crack a smile.

The orange-haired girl pulled back and grinned. “I’m great nya!”

Nozomi ruffled Rin’s hair. “I’m glad to know that! Come sit, I brought food!” She also motioned to Chika and Yoshiko to join them.

“Welcome back, Nozomi-san!” Chika greeted as they took a seat and started to eat.

“How was your trip?” Yoshiko casually asked.

“It was fun,” Nozomi repeated her earlier answer. The two didn’t really know the context of her trip. They were just told that she had some business to attend to outside the country. “Oh, I have souvenirs for you two!” She dug through her bag and brought out two pairs of matching keychains. She gave each of them a pair and said, “I got them by pairs, so you can give the other one to your special someone.” Nozomi grinned.

Images of a certain ashen-haired and a redhead suddenly popped out of nowhere, making Chika and Yoshiko turn beet red.  They quickly tried to brush them off, but it was too late. Nozomi already noticed and raised her eyebrows knowingly. “Oh, so you _do_ have them? I just guessed, and it seems like I’m right.”

Nico rolled her eyes. “Have mercy on them, Nozomi.”

“What? I’m not even doing anything bad to them!” Nozomi defended.

“I-It’s fine, Nico-san!” said Chika, not wanting her seniors to argue because of them. Yoshiko nodded in agreement.

“It’s okay, they’re just always like that nya!” Rin said, comforting Chika. “Anyway, no souvenirs for me and Nico-chan?” Rin pouted.

“Of course there are!” replied Nozomi. “They’re with Elichi though. We’ll give them to you next time we meet!”

Rin’s eyes lit up yet again and she nodded.

“Um, do you mean Eli Ayase-san?” Chika asked curiously.

“Yes nya!” Rin answered.

“Oh! How is she? Is she doing alright?” Chika was concerned because Dia and the others informed them on what happened to the blonde a few months back.

“She’s doing fine,” Nozomi said, a little unsure of Chika’s worry. But she guessed it wasn’t really that surprising, considering that the girl was a fan of Muse. “She’s great, actually.”

“Oh! That’s cool!” Chika smiled. “So Muse members really do still meet a lot, huh?”

“Just for the past months,” said Nozomi, “it’s because of the project we’re currently working on. Before that it’s just me, Nicochi, and Rin-chan.”

“Maki-chan and Eli work together too,” added Nico, “and Hanayo and Honoka. Umi and Kotori are _close._ ”

One could literally see the sparkle in Chika’s eyes when listening to things about her idols.

Rin raised her hand enthusiastically, “and me and Kayo-chin too!”

Nozomi chuckled. “Yup, I guess Muse do meet a lot, although just by pairs or so.”

“Ah, I see, I see!” Chika nodded repeatedly.

“Do you still sing with each other?” Yoshiko inquired.

“Hmm, no, I guess not,” said Nozomi.

“Eh, wouldn’t it be nice to sing together again?” Chika asked.

“I thought you’re gonna perform again when we saw the newspaper a few months ago,” Yoshiko said.

“It would be nice, yes,” said Nico, “although, singing is not our priority right now.” She smiled a smile that was definitely a sad one according to Nozomi’s senses.

Nozomi felt a sting at that, knowing full well that she’s the reason why Nico gave up on performing.

Their conversation went on while eating, talking about random things that the two orange-haired girls usually initiated. Nozomi remained somewhat quiet, only nodding and saying “yes”s.  Yoshiko told them about her late-night activities as a _fallen angel._ Rin mostly talked about cats and Hanayo. Chika updated them with the present-day idols and they were more than glad to listen and share their insights. It was mostly Nico who was eagerly engaging though. The shine in her eyes rivaled that of Chika’s. Her passion for idols and performing could truly be seen burning in her.

Nozomi saw all that and made up her mind.

She would definitely have her be onstage again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! What do you think of this chapter? Lovelots!
> 
> Talk to me on twitter/tumblr @eSerenityyyy :>


	27. Who knows?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy~

Nine women gathered inside the office of ChocoCoco Flower Shops to discuss the release of the shop’s advertisement magazine. The magazine was already finalized and on the process of printing. It had been months since this project started, bringing about the _reunion_ of the former school idol group, Muse. These maidens went on their separate paths after they graduated high school and was only seeing each other in pairs or trios. Thus, they were happy to be reunited once again, even if it was for work.

The one behind this reunion was the cool-headed, calm, and composed former student council president, the one and only Eli Ayase. It was two weeks after she returned from Russia with Nozomi and she now stood at the head of the long conference table with a big smile on her face. “Good morning, everyone,” she started, “this meeting will be one of the last ones for this project.” She paused, and looked at everyone’s faces before continuing, “I’d like to begin with thanking all of you for everything. For all the hardwork you put into this project, your efforts, your help and support to me and the company. Really, thank you so, so, much.” She bowed her head sincerely in gratitude.

Umi did the same, standing up and bowing her head. “Likewise. Thank you for bringing everyone together again, Eli.” Soon, the remaining girls followed suit, expressing their gratitude to everyone.

When they settled down on their seats, Eli wasted no time to speak again. “Now then, let’s go to work, shall we?”

Kotori nodded, “yes! Now that we’re done with the physical copy of the magazine, we will go on with the planning of the release.” She wore her usual cheery smile that never failed to make a certain lyricist fall in love over again.

“Have you already decided on a date, Elichi?” Nozomi asked. Umi and Rin noticed this was the first time that the purple-haired called Eli by her nickname while at work. It made them smile, realizing that Nozomi was softening and warming up. She wasn’t the cold, serious, and workaholic woman anymore. She was letting herself take a break every once in a while, and her actions didn’t seem too stiff anymore.

“D-Date?” Too gay to clearly comprehend Nozomi’s words, Eli flushed red at the question.

“Release date for the magazine,” Maki whispered to the blonde, suppressing a laugh. Nico caught on and a giggle escaped from her mouth, while Nozomi just raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Oh,” Eli blushed even more, now by embarrassment that she misunderstood what Nozomi said. “N-no, not yet.”

“Does anyone have a suggestion?” Kotori asked, sensing what just happened and not wanting to make Eli uncomfortable. “It’s better if we pick a date when we’re free so we can all attend together!”

Hanayo slowly raised her hand, “um, I checked our schedule earlier and Honoka-chan and I will be busy throughout this month... Maybe until the first half of next month...”

“Then then, can we cancel some guesting?” Honoka eagerly suggested. She really didn’t want to miss such an important event that she and her friends worked hard for.

“You can’t do that, Honoka!” Umi scolded like the father she was to Honoka. “You can’t just cancel things you agreed to.”

“Umi-chan’s right, Honoka-chan,” Nozomi seconded. “We appreciate your intentions, but you can’t neglect your other responsibilities too.”

“That’s right nya!” Rin agreed. “And we still haven’t decided on a date yet!” She also comforted Hanayo, who was feeling guilty and looking sad.

“Yes, we can have it on the last week of next month,” Eli said, “we aren’t really rushing things here, and we all want this to go as smoothly as possible with quality. Is everyone free then?”

“Nicochi, Rin-chan, and I can go any day. We still have two people to stay at the studio while we’re out,” answered Nozomi. Chika and Yoshiko were the ones manning the studio today and while they’re only new there, they trusted them enough to let them stay by themselves.

“Same for me,” said Kotori, “I can meet some big clients and arrange their stuff before next month.” Owning a big fashion company, Kotori really didn’t have to worry about leaving her work for a while. She had many reliable people to take care of everything while she’s away.

“I do my work at home, so I can manage to have time for the event.” Umi, being a novel writer and freelance lyricist, can adjust to any schedule as long as she worked hard to reach her deadline. While she also inherited their family’s dojo, her older sister decided to come by every so often and she only taught traditional dance every weekend. Her parents were also still active in their respective fields, that’s why it wasn’t that heavy on Umi’s shoulders.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Maki, the redhead doctor, who, most likely, was the busiest of them. She’d been a full-fledged neurosurgeon for the past year and was preparing to inherit their family hospital once her parents decided to retire. Not used to and disliking attention, red tinted her cheeks, and she quickly fumbled through her phone to check her schedule. “I-I should be fine to take a day off. I’ll just have one of my doctors fill me up if ever an emergency happens,” she said while twirling strands of her hair.

“Are you sure?” asked Eli. She was worried since she knew how busy Maki could get, especially since she’d been training a lot for the inheritance.

“Yeah, Papa doesn’t have appointments either. He’ll surely be at the hospital,” Maki quietly answered.

“Okay, that’s good then,” Eli said, “last week of next month!”

Everyone nodded happily. It was for this reason that they hadn’t been able to meet completely for the past years. All of them had been so busy and their schedules always didn’t match. And that’s why they’d been more than glad to agree when Eli proposed to have them for this project. An opportunity to meet your friends, while still working.

“Now then,” Kotori spoke up, “we’ll be planning for the program itself.” She was scribbling some stuff on her notebook. “Any suggestions?”

“I want to keep it light and fun, but still serious enough to convey the thoughts of the shop,” Eli said. Kotori just nodded and continued to write.

Their meeting continued on smoothly, with their occasional jokes and jabs here and there (mostly from Nico, Rin, and Honoka). By the time they settled everything for the release program and went home, Nozomi couldn’t help but think it had been a long ride for this project. She thought back to the first day she saw Eli once again, how her emotions boiled up and threatened to burst then and there. She thought about how hard she worked for this project, so she could prove that she had no hard feelings towards the shop. It was true that she once hated this very business but then she realized that it’s okay. It’s only normal for a person, especially someone like Eli, to want to have their dreams become a reality.

She wondered what would’ve happened if this project wasn’t thought of. Or if Eli didn’t decide to have Muse work on this. Would she still be working nonstop, like a robot? Would she still be thinking of her ‘why’s and hurting? She probably would. Ever since Eli decided to become a part of her life again, everything had been an emotional rollercoaster. More questions bottled up inside her, since the blonde showed up suddenly and never bothered to explain anything until that day at the student council room. It just hurt her more that the very same reason why she left her, was her intention when she came back. Like, seriously? Eli left her for work and now she wanted to work with her? What’s up with that? How messed up was that? She just went along with all of it and accepted the work offer. No need for bitter excuses because that’s only for sixteen-year-olds.

She remembered all the tense atmosphere around them for the first weeks. She felt guilty because she knew their friends were getting affected by it too. But she didn’t know what to do. Eli wasn’t speaking up about it, because what’s the point? They were through, for five years already. They’d been _happily_ living their lives separately. They’d been holding on to their respective dreams. They were successful individuals. They were just there to collaborate on a _work._ Work. It was just this stupid work, so what was there to talk about?

Until that day came, Eli decided to finally open the topic. It was that same day when she went out with her, Nico and Rin. They spent the afternoon enjoying the festival at Otonokizaka. It was definitely awkward because of Eli’s flowery words. She was irritated of her for the sudden change of mood. Although she did feel happy for some things, especially the blonde’s effort on that game and her offering to drive them home.

Yes, it was at her home. The home that welcomed Eli all those years ago back in high school. The house that Eli made home. It was special to the both of them. They shared a lot of moments there together and all those were oh so precious.

So, when Eli spoke and apologized for everything, her resolve broke. She truly was at a loss, with everything being so messy in her mind and heart. She didn’t know what to do, what to think, what to feel. So, she just let out those chaotic thoughts. She knew she was just rambling on how it hurt so much. She knew it was unfair, but that was the least she could do to help herself. She just wanted to be happy. It didn’t help that she remembered one of her most heartbreaking moment with her.

So, when Eli embraced her while she was crying and muttering, she just had to ask her.

_“Was it easy?” Nozomi suddenly asked after silently crying for the past minute in Eli’s arms._

_Eli pulled back to look at her, but she kept her head low. “What was?” Eli asked back._

_“Leaving... me,” Nozomi choked out a sob, “like I’m just a piece of toy you got bored playing with.”_

_“No!” Eli exclaimed. “Of course not! You’re the most precious thing that happened in my life!”_

_“Then why?” Nozomi whispered, her voice so soft you wouldn’t hear it if you didn’t listen carefully. “Why did it seem that way? Why was I left behind, broken and lost, when all I did was love you?”_

_Eli kissed the top of her head, wanting to convey her love and apology, and held her tighter. “I was stupid. I was being stupid, foolish and blind. I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry...”_

_Nozomi wasn’t processing anything she was hearing. She was too absorbed in her own negative thoughts and continued to ask, “what was wrong with me? What was I lacking?”_

_“Nothing, Nozomi, nothing,” Eli replied, “you’re so much more than enough for me. I couldn’t, wouldn’t, wish for anyone but you. I loved you, I love you so much...”_

_Nozomi became silent again, tears continued to fall on her cheeks. Eli continued to kiss her hair and rub her head and back. Soon, her heavy breathing and quiet sobbing slowly evened out and relaxed. When Eli dared to look at her, she already fell asleep. She was too exhausted, physically and emotionally. Eli wiped her tear-stained cheeks before placing a kiss on her forehead. The blonde stood up and carried her to her room. She laid her on her bed and covered her body with a blanket. With one last mutters of “I’m sorry,” “I love you,” and “good night,” Eli gave Nozomi a final look before she turned the lights off and left the place._

When Nozomi snapped back into reality, she found herself tearing up again. She was such a mess, she thought. But now, she was glad to have been able to clear things out with Eli and make friends again.

Would being _just friends_ be enough for her to be truly happy though? 

 Who knew? She was too tired to think anymore, and so she settled on her bed and closed her eyes to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! What do you think of this chapter?
> 
> Talk to me on Twitter/Tumblr @eSerenityyyy :3
> 
> Lovelots! <3


	28. Hey, Nicochi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy~

_Hey, Nicochi. Do you know just how grateful I am to you? Just how happy I am to have you as my friend? I’m really, really, glad you came into my life. You cared so much for me, especially when I myself didn’t. You were always there to have my back. You helped me stand up when I was so helpless. Your frank remarks made me realize things I was purposely ignoring. I’m older than you but you cared for me the way you treated your younger siblings. You sacrificed things to make us smile. You gave love in my loveless world. Really, thank you so much, Nicochi. For everything. You really are the number one idol in the universe. Someday, I hope to repay your kindness and return the favor._

\--

“Hey Nicochi,” Nozomi called, still looking at the camera she was holding. She was examining the last photos she took of a lady with a microphone in her hand.

“Yeah?” Nico asked, not taking her eyes off the computer. She was making sure the last edits were alright before they head home. She and Nozomi were the only ones left at their studio. It was an hour past their closing time and the other three staff went home already.

“Don’t you wanna try auditioning again?” Nozomi asked, trying to keep the conversation casual. She took a seat on the couch adjacent to Nico.

Nico froze for a little but she quickly regained composure. “For what?” she asked back. Neither of the two looked at each other and instead continued working on.

“Y’know,” said Nozomi, “singing and dancing. Idol stuff?” Although she knew the chance was low, she still hoped this talk would lead to the younger woman chasing her dream again.

“Hmm,” Nico hummed, seemingly thinking, “not really,” she shrugged.

“Why not though?” Nozomi questioned. She put her camera on the table and looked at Nico.

“Well,” Nico said, “it’s too much of a hassle. I’m already content with what we’re doing. I enjoy here working with you and Rin. Besides,” she turned to Nozomi, “didn’t we already talk about this before?”

“We did,” Nozomi replied, “and I’m thankful for all the help you extended to me and the studio.” She sent Nico an earnest, grateful smile. “See, the studio’s getting big and stable. We even have new people to help. We can already handle this on our own… It’s okay to leave us for yourself.”

“What, you don’t need me here anymore?” Nico asked in an almost trembling voice and looked away.

“No Nicochi,” Nozomi stood up and approached the shorter woman, “it’s not like that.” She took her hands in hers but Nico still refused to look at her. “What I mean is, it’s okay to prioritize yourself. It’s okay to be selfish now and think about your own dreams and be happy. We will all support you, Nicochi.”

Nico stood and gazed at her straight in the eyes. “I’m already happy here with all of you.” But the smile she gave her said otherwise. She took back her hands and turned around. “Let’s go home, it’s already late. The kids are waiting for me.”

Nozomi could only give her a sad smile of her own before sighing and fixing her things. _‘I guess I’ll have to try harder, huh?’_

\--

Eli was about to start her car when she received a text message. She unlocked her phone and her eyes sparkled when she saw the sender’s name.

**_Nozomiii_ **

She unknowingly took a deep breath before opening the message. It said,

**_Elichi, I have something to propose._ **

Eli’s eyes widened and she was about to squeal when another message came.

**_It’s about the release program? Ah, it’s a favor actually. Can you hear me out?_ **

Eli facepalmed. _‘What were you expecting, Elichika?’_ She quickly typed a reply.

**_Anything for you, Nozomi ❤️_ **

But she immediately erased it. _‘Too cheesy.’_

**_Of course, what is it? :)_ **

_‘Now that’s more casual.’_ She hit send and waited for a reply. She figured she could go home a little later.

Not a minute passed and her phone vibrated.

**_Can we discuss it in person? Are you free tomorrow?_ **

She quickly took her scheduler out from her bag to check.

**_I’m free from noon onwards._ **

So she replied, but in reality, she actually was not. She planned to go to Maki’s place the day after for some things. But of course, she’d cancel anything for Nozomi.

**_Ah, that’s great! Do you think we can meet with Maki-chan and the others? I’d like them to hear too._ **

Ah, speak of the devil. But well, that’s convenient too. She didn’t have to go to Maki’s anymore. Albeit, she was a bit sad she couldn’t spend the day alone with Nozomi.

**_Maki will be there, she has her day off tomorrow. I’ll let Umi and Kotori know. I’m not sure with Honoka and Hanayo though, I think they’re busy. Have you informed Nico and Rin?_ **

**_Yes, I’ve actually talked with Honoka-chan too. She said they’ll make time tomorrow._ **

**_Anyway, thank you for hearing me out Elichi. Good night!_ **

**_Ah, that’s great then! You’re welcome, Nozomi. Good night. :)_ **

With that, Eli smiled at her phone as if Nozomi could see it and placed it inside her bag. She started her car and drove home.

She was happy Nozomi didn’t hesitate to ask her for a favor, even though it still seemed for work. Now she was excited to come back to her office the next day.

\--

The next day came quickly and eight women sat at Eli’s office. None of them, except Nozomi, knew what was up. All they knew was that the purple-haired had called for them to discuss something about the program.

“So, what are we here for?” asked Maki, who was being her usual impatient self. “And isn’t Nico-chan coming?”

Nozomi chuckled. “Well, no, she’s not. I had her stay behind at the shop.”

“Why is that?” asked Umi. She thought this was an important meeting since it was announced rather suddenly. If this was so important, wouldn’t they have to be complete?

“Well, actually, I called you all because of her,” answered Nozomi. “Of course I don’t want her to be here.”

Seven pairs of eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“Oh! Oh! Are we planning for a surprise birthday party?” Honoka eagerly asked. Rin also had an excited look in her eyes.

“Honoka-chan, Nico-chan’s birthday is still a few months away,” Kotori reminded.

“Eh… Then what’s up nya? When we left you didn’t tell her where we’re going nya,” said Rin. It was true, she and Nozomi met up at the studio and the purple-haired only told Nico that ‘they have something to attend to.’

“I’m thinking of letting Nicochi perform on the program,” said Nozomi. “I really think she misses performing.”

“Why the sudden thought?” asked Hanayo. “Ah! It’s not that I disagree, I was just curious…”

“You see, Nicochi’s been helping me ever since I was in university. She didn’t have the time to continue her auditions when I was starting up my shop. I wanted to return the favor,” explained Nozomi, “when I saw her talking about idols with Chika-chan, there was this sparkle in her eyes that was telling me her passion. She needs to be on-stage again. So I thought that this program would be a perfect chance to start her performances again. Besides Honoka-chan, I think we should have Nicochi sing too.”

Everyone was silent at Nozomi’s words at first. But then, they all smiled, thinking it was just right. They didn’t really know why Nico didn’t pursue the idol career even when Honoka was inviting her to join her. Now, they began to understand.

They all nodded their agreement; well, all but one.

“Honoka?” Eli called when she noticed the ginger-haired’s serious, thinking face. It was rare to see her like that, so it raised concern to the blonde.

“Hmm,” Honoka looked at her friends and exclaimed, “why don’t we all sing together!?”

“Eh?”

“Wouldn’t it make sense for us all to perform? We all helped with the magazine!” she excitedly explained.

“Oh! You’re right!” Rin seconded, “it will be like a reunion live nya!”

 _‘Am I the only one having a_ déjà vu _here…’_ Maki thought.

“I’m not against the idea but…” Eli slowly turned to Nozomi. The others followed suit, remembering that they already had a talk like this, but one disagreed.

“Eh?” Nozomi was confused from all the eyes on her but she caught up. She sighed. “If that’s what will take Nicochi to perform again, then let’s do it.”

“It’s settled then,” said Eli.

Honoka and Rin high fived and erupted in cheers. “Yay!”

“So what are we going to sing?” Umi asked.

“Should I compose a new song?” Maki questioned too.

“Wait, wait,” Nozomi said, “let’s keep this a secret from Nicochi, okay? It’s a surprise!”

Everyone smiled and nodded.

“So?”

“I vote for a new song!” Honoka raised her hand.

“Me too!” Rin exclaimed. These two were just _so_ energetic.

“Anyone disagrees?” Eli asked. When she saw no hands raised, she smiled and turned to Umi and Maki. “It’s in your care then.” The song maker duo nodded their heads.

“Hey, hey,” Rin suddenly called, “what if we invite more people?”

“Won’t it be too much already?” Nozomi asked, doubting.

“Do you have someone in mind to invite?” Eli questioned.

“Hmm, Aqours-san,” answered Rin. “Chika-chan and Yohane-chan and me always dance in our breaks!”

“Oh! Yeah I know them too! I saw their performance in Akiba Dome!” Honoka said. “They’re so cool and cute!”

Before Rin could speak again, Maki interjected, “wait, I know this Chika but who’s Yohane?”

Nozomi chuckled. “She meant Yoshiko-chan, our other staff.”

“Okay?” The redhead nodded her head uncertainly. “Anyway, yes I’ve heard of them too. Besides Ohara and the other two, I've actually met their composer at a recital.”

“And? And?” Rin looked at Maki intently.

“A-And?” Maki started twirling her hair, embarrassed at the attention.

“What do you think of her? Is she good?” Rin asked eagerly.

“W-Well I must say she did impress me,” answered Maki. Sometime ago she had met Riko, Aqours’s composer and the latest champion of the Piano Competition she herself used to join and win. They last saw each other at the very same competition.

“Oooh! She must be really good then!” Honoka exclaimed. Maki rarely gave compliments, so when she did give one, then the receiver must really be worth it.

“Then we should really sing with them nya!” Rin was very excited it was showing in her eyes.

“C-Calm down, Rin-chan,” said Hanayo, “we can’t decide on that immediately!”

Eli chuckled. “Hanayo’s right. We ourselves would get a hard time with practice what with our heavy schedule and so. It would be harder for 18 people.”

Rin visibly deflated on the table. “Aw…” Hanayo came to the rescue with her back pats and circle rubs.

“Unless…” Umi trailed off.

“Hm?” Kotori turned to her. “Unless what, Umi-chan?”

“Do you have any ideas?” Honoka asked.

“I was just thinking we could make it… if we take a vacation,” Umi explained, “a formal leave from work.” Then a look of realization hit her. “Ah, but we can’t really do that, can we? I apologize for spurting out such a ridiculous idea.”

Everyone stayed silent at Umi’s suggestion.

Until Maki spoke up, “actually, that might be a good idea.”

“Excuse me?” Eli said, “is that you, Maki?” It was hard to believe that the two hardworking women were the ones open to the idea of taking a break.

“Yeah, I’m getting tired of the hospital,” Maki shrugged, “I want to play music.” So that’s what it was about. The piano prodigy hadn’t been able to play a lot recently because of her training.

“Makes sense,” Eli said. “Do you think your father will allow you?” Taking a leave would be easier said than done after all, especially for Maki.

“Yeah, why not?” said Maki. “He’d been telling me to take care of myself.”

“I see,” Eli hummed, “how about the others then? Umi?” She thought it was weird that Umi of all people was the one who came up with the idea.

“My sister’s kicking me out of the house actually,” Umi answered, “ _’go have fun,’_ she said.”

Kotori giggled. “She told me the same thing too. She wanted to make up with her long absence in the house.”

“She did? No wonder she takes all my work,” Umi mused.

“That’s two then. Kotori?”

“I'll be good to go too.” Kotori smiled. She’d been wanting to spend more time, without working, with Umi and their friends.

“As for Honoka-chan and I, we can’t always stay for long, but we can drop by from time to time for practice. It depends on the location,” Hanayo discussed. Honoka’s mouth formed an ‘o’ in understanding.

“How about us nya, Nozomi-chan?” Rin asked her senior.

“We should be fine for at most a month but… Elichi and I just took a vacation, didn’t we? We have to arrange the things we left…” Nozomi said, looking unsure.

“Eh, but I’m pretty sure Nico-chan and Maki-chan already had everything settled! Maki-chan dropped by the studio a lot when you were away nya!” She turned to Maki, who was blushing real hard.

“Buehh?”

“Is that so, Maki?” teased Eli.

“W-We had to do your works!” the redhead stuttered.

Nozomi let out a giggle. “What do you think, Elichi? Should we?”

“Well…” the two turned to the remaining women and saw big puppy eyes pleading for a yes. Even Maki and Umi looked like they were children asking their parents for ice cream! Then the two returned their sight at each other. They elicited a shared smile of understanding.

“We don’t really have a choice, do we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope y'all are having a nice day~ Lovelots ❤️
> 
> PS. Forgive me for errors and if this seemed boring.. Something happened~
> 
> Edit: 9/2 For this week's update, we have the side story no. 2 "Nozomi's First Heartbreak"~ (part 3 of the series)


	29. Yes, President!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Muse-Aqours interactions...

After setting everything in place, Nozomi invited Nico on a _vacation trip_ together with all of Muse. The black-haired found it weird at first, because she hadn’t heard about planning it beforehand with the other women nor in their _groupchat_. Nonetheless, she was glad Nozomi was taking a lot of breaks lately and so she agreed to go.

Their destination was to the hometown of Aqours - Numazu. They were led there by Chika and Yoshiko, who were glad to be back home. They arrived at the Takami Inn at about noon. They checked in and met Chika’s family.

Later that day, they were also acquainted with the rest of Aqours. Chika invited them to play along the beach with them.

Since Rin and Honoka were quite the extroverts, they quickly got along with the others. They dragged Nico with them to play in the waters with Chika, Yoshiko and Ruby. Yoshiko was reluctant at first, saying that the fallen angel shouldn’t indulge herself with the gods’ creation. However, when Rin splashed a good amount of water on her face, she couldn’t say no to a battle. So, it turned out to be an all-out water war.

On the sides, Hanayo and Hanamaru were having a snack-bonding. They were munching on some food that Chika’s mother prepared for them. They were happily enjoying the presence of each other while eating. And occasionally, they would be talking about how blissful it was to live in the world full of delicious foods. But when they looked at the basket and saw that there was only _one_ piece of rice cracker left, they trailed their sight to each other and froze. No one knew what happened next.

Nozomi walked through the shore, reveling in the afternoon breeze. It had been a while she last took such fresh air. The serene waves of the water were satisfying to watch, it was calming.

“Nozomi-san! How are you doing now?” An ashen-haired woman approached Nozomi, giving her a wide grin while waving her hand.

“Oh, good afternoon, You-san! I’m doing great!” Nozomi answered, returning a smile.

“Eh, You-chan, you already Nozomi-san before?” Chika, who was taking a break from playing with Rin and the others to give everyone their drinks (courtesy of Shima-nee), suddenly appeared at You’s side and handed the both of them a glass of mikan juice.

“Thanks, Chika-chan. And yeah! I met her in Yousoro a while back!” You glanced at Nozomi, who nodded in agreement. How could Nozomi forget that fateful day?

“Such a small world, isn’t it?” Nozomi chuckled. She found it amusing that the two former school idol groups had already more or less interacted with each other before. She couldn’t help but think that it’s spiritual and fate had always wanted them to meet.

“It is, it is!” Chika giggled. “Anyway, I gotta go!” And she dashed off just like that. Nozomi and You gave each other a look before giggling themselves.

On the far right of the shore, Eli was seated on the sad with Mari, Kanan, and Dia. They preferred to just relax and watch over their friends who were enjoying the beach in their own ways.

“I-It’s good to see you well, Ayase-san,” Dia said, rather stiffly. Although Eli kept in contact with Mari and Kanan, and sometimes talked to her too, this was their first time to meet each other face to face.

Eli chuckled. “Don’t be so formal with me, Dia-san. No need to call me by my last name!”

“Loosen up, Dia~” Mari teased. “Just ask for her autograph already!” It was no secret that the black-haired deeply admired Eli, both for being an idol and a student council president.

“I’ll give you one later then,” Eli said, “it’s the least I can do to thank you for saving my life.” She was beyond grateful to Dia, for being at the right place at the right time. It’s true that she wanted to end her life then, but now she was glad she wasn’t able to. If she died that time, then she wouldn’t be able to rekindle her friendship with Nozomi. She wouldn’t have the chance to correct her mistakes from the past.

“It’s no problem at all, Ay-Eli-san. I am just happy to have been of help.” Dia gave her a warm, genuine smile. Truthfully, she’d been joyous to know that Eli was doing alright after what happened.

“How are you and Nozomi-san?” Kanan asked Eli, raising both her eyebrows teasingly. Maybe being with Mari for almost all her life had really rubbed off on her.

Eli didn’t take it as rude either. Since she’d been keeping contact with them, they had grown quite close. And besides Maki, they were the ones whom Eli could talk to when it came to Nozomi. “We’re great!” she answered, “she’s not tensed around me anymore. We’re good friends.” She had a content smile plastered on her face as she took a sip of her juice.

“ _Just_ friends? Come on, Ayasechi, you should step up your game so you can be... _you know_.” Mari joined in the teasing, wiggling her eyebrows in the process.

“Things take time, Mari!” Eli laughed at the fellow blonde’s remark. “We should take things slowly and surely.”

“Mhm-hmm,” Dia nodded, “I shall remember your words of wisdom.” She took a mental note of what Eli just said.

“Geez, Dia, I told you to loosen up!” Mari let out a laugh which was shared with Kanan and Eli, although theirs were a bit softer.

“On a serious note though,” said Kanan, as she stared into the sea, “risks are worth taking too. We just can’t wait for anything to happen, we must face them head-on and not waste precious time. For all we know, they might be drifting away from us faster than we think so.” She recalled the time when she was being indecisive to Mari, that they’d almost parted ways forever. And that fateful slap that came when they finally let their feelings out to each other.

“You got a point,” Eli nodded, “that’s why I decided to pursue her again after all these years. I’ve already taken all the time in bettering myself. I have to get her back now.” Determination reflected in her eyes. Yes, it’s now or never.

“ _That’s the spirit!_ ” Mari cheered in English.

On the other side of the beach were Maki and Riko. The redheads were enjoying some time by themselves, talking about the latest trends in music. Maki gave the younger woman some advises in playing the piano and they hoped to see each other more in the next big recitals.

“Mind if we join you?” A voice came from behind them. Upon turning around, Maki recognized it’s Umi, with Kotori by her side. They got some snacks in hand and they offered them to the two.

“No, of course not.” Despite not really knowing them yet personally, Riko welcomed them with a smile on her face.

“She’s Umi,” said Maki, pointing to the bluenette, “and this one’s Kotori. They’re our lyricist and costume designer.”

“Ah yes, I’ve heard of you! Your songs were so well-written, and the costumes were so cute!” Riko complimented. How could she not have heard of them when Chika and You always talked about them back in high school?

“T-Thank you,” answered the slightly flustered Umi. Even after growing older, she still got her unconfident side.

“Anyway,” said Maki, “we were just talking about diving.”

“Diving?” asked Kotori. She was sure they’d be talking about music since they’re both pianists and all, but diving didn’t really connect to it.

“Yes,” Riko was the one who affirmed. “I thought it would be nice to get inspiration from the sea. I once went diving with Chika-chan and the others to listen to the sound of the water. It gives a very calming but strong effect.” Since she knew that there were barely diving spots in the city side, she thought it would be great for Maki to experience what she had back then.

“Oh!” Kotori responded, in amazement. ‘ _It_ is _about music.’_ “Why don’t we try it then? We’ve never really done diving. Right, Umi-chan?”

Umi nodded. “It’s nice to try new things.”

“Can we do it tomorrow then?” Maki asked Riko. She had never really considered listening to the waters from deep below. Maybe she _could_ get some ideas.

“Sure, we can ask Kanan-chan for that.”

When the sun was about to set, Nozomi supposed it’s time to give Nico their surprise. She eyed Eli to give her the sign and soon, all of them gathered around the raven-haired.

“What’s going on?” asked Nico. She had a bad feeling about all these and hoped nothing serious would be happening. Damn, she just wanted to enjoy a vacation with her friends.

“Nicochi,” started Nozomi. She took a step forward and said, “thank you so much for everything.”

“Hah? It’s not my birthday yet, you know!” Nico exclaimed. She had no idea on what’s occurring, but for once, she didn’t like how all the attention was on her.

Nozomi chuckled. “We know. It’s just that, I think this is the right time to return the favor.” She then handed her an envelope.

Nico took and slowly opened it to take a look on its contents. There were some papers inside, and upon scanning them, she realized those were application forms for idol auditions. And the companies were big too.

Two recommendation letters were included, one signed by Maki, and the other one by Eli. By this time, Nico’s hands were starting to quiver, as her lips. Her eyes were becoming heavy from contained tears. She took the last paper and saw that it’s the invitation for the release of their magazine project. She was confused for a bit, what did that have to do with being an idol? Her question was answered when she unfolded it, seeing her name at the top.

**_To open the program with a performance - Nico Yazawa._ **

_‘Eh?’_

She continued to scan the invitation.

**_Reunion Performance -_ ** **_µ’s_ **

**_…_ **

**_Closing Performance -_ ** **_µ’s in collaboration with Aqours_ **

“What...” Nico slowly looked up at the other women, searching for signs of joking.

But there wasn’t any.

“Nozomi?”

But the older woman just gave her a warm smile.

“Maki?” she sought.

“The music is ready,” Maki answered as she held up a CD.

Then Nico turned to Umi.

“The lyrics are done,” said the bluenette. She had a piece of paper in her hand which she showed Nico.

Nico’s sight landed on Kotori.

The ashen-haired smiled as she took out a bag, but she handed it to Nozomi instead.

“Nicochi,” Nozomi called, “it’s time to chase your dreams again.” Then she unzipped the bag, revealing a piece of pink frilly dress with a white ribbon on its chest. She gave it to Nico who hesitantly accepted.

Nico stared at it, unable to speak coherently. Tears started to fall from her eyes one by one until she was openly crying in front of 17 other women. She gripped the dress and clutched it close to her chest. She shook her head and smiled. And now with a determined look on her eyes, she told them,

“Practice won’t be easy, you understand!?”

“Yes, president!” Nozomi answered with equal vigor and soon, the others followed suit.

They all erupted in cheers as they gave the number one idol in the universe a big, big, hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Any thoughts on this? Lovelots! <3


	30. All Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mari likes tall women with ponytail. She also throws a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good day! I'm sorry for taking a month long break yet again. I've started to take college exams and such. Also, I have finals this week (and more college exams soon) so I'll do my best in updating lol thanks for all your support to these gays I love you all so much. Oh and also I don't mean to spark hate and/or comparisons between Popipa and Roselia. I just used their band's name for this.

The ladies of Muse didn’t have a hard time adjusting to their new friends. Even Hanayo, still as shy as ever, found herself enjoying the time she’s spending with them - especially with Ruby and Hanamaru. Kotori was happy exchanging costume designs and ideas with You, who was as excited. The Kurosawa sisters also extended help since they needed to make a _lot_ of costumes. Maki was delighted when they went diving with Kanan’s guidance. She didn’t know the waters below had so much effects on their minds and hearts. Riko played the piano with her after that, releasing all the emotions they got. Umi and Chika surprisingly got along too, maybe because the younger woman reminded her so much of Honoka. They wrote the lyrics together for their collaboration song. Honoka herself just occasionally came by to help with things and practice since she and Hanayo weren’t able to take a leave from work. The others left were the ones in charge of the choreography.

Meanwhile, Nico was in a heated argument with Dia about who of the contestants would win the current Love Live! competition. They were in the middle of a practice session for their dance and the two naturally went to each other on their break to talk about idols. The other women didn’t really mind their bickering; they were just happy for them being _close_.

“I told you, _Poppin’ Party_ will win! Just look at their flawless dance moves!” Nico exclaimed, defending her favorite group.

“Buu buu desu wa! _Roselia_ will be the one to win! Their vocals are much better!” Dia reasoned. Although she respected her idol and senior, she couldn’t stay silent when her group was being _attacked_.

“They sure are energetic so early in the morning,” a voice echoed in Nozomi’s ears, taking her out of her trance.

Nozomi looked up from where she was cross-seated at the side. “Ah, Kanan-san.”

Kanan handed her a water bottle. “Here,” she said before sitting beside her.

“Thank you,” said Nozomi as she gratefully accepted.

“No problem,” said Kanan, “also, no need to call me with ‘-san.’” She gave her a friendly smile. “We’re friends, aren’t we? Besides, hearing you call me that when I’m younger than you sounds a bit weird.” She chuckled.

Nozomi giggled. “Okay then, Kanan-chan.” She flashed a smile before taking a sip of her water and returning her gaze in front of them. Before she knew it, she was back in her reverie.

Kanan noticed this and let her be. She closed her eyes and took the fresh air in. She enjoyed the quiet and peaceful company of Nozomi. And then she heard,

“Mari-san really is friendly, isn’t she..?”

Kanan opened her eyes and turned to Nozomi. The older woman wasn’t looking at her and instead focused on what’s in front. Kanan raised an eyebrow and followed Nozomi’s sight. There, Eli was, red-faced from Mari’s teasing. Kanan smiled and said, “yeah, she is.” She looked back at Nozomi and found her not amused. Kanan was confused for a second until she caught on what was happening. “She especially likes tall women with ponytail,” she said. She waited for a reaction until...

“W-What?” Nozomi stuttered as red tinted her cheeks and she looked at Kanan.

“She always flirts with them,” added Kanan. Gosh, Mari really did rub off on her huh?

Nozomi chose to ignore Kanan’s statements and turned her attention back to Eli. She looked like she was truly enjoying Mari’s company. Was that why she hadn’t talked to Nozomi that much since this morning?

Nozomi looked down and remained silent. And then Kanan noticed something... was she pouting?

“Are you, maybe,” Kanan asked, “jealous?” She decided to stop with the teasing for the meantime.

“What?” Nozomi exclaimed, looking at Kanan incredulously. “Elichi and I are just friends!”

Kanan chuckled. “I know, I know. I didn’t say anything about Eli though,” she shrugged.

Nozomi opened her mouth to speak but she opted to stay silent when more heat crept up her cheeks.

“I think you and Mari should talk to each other,” Kanan suddenly said. “Based on what I’ve heard from Eli, it seems like you can get along well.” Kanan really had heard a lot of stories from Eli and although this was the first time she really talked with Nozomi, she felt like she and Mari would make a _dangerous_ duo.

“Elichi talks about me?” Nozomi asked. She was both glad and embarrassed about the fact. Just what could Eli be talking about her?

“Hmm yeah,” Kanan answered, “don’t worry though, they’re all good things! How you’re hardworking and stuff. Yeah, like that.” Of course, she wouldn’t mention how Eli said Nozomi was the most beautiful being she ever met and how the blonde was head over heels for her.

“I see...” Kanan swore she saw a small smile tug at Nozomi’s lips.

And it was in that moment that they heard a whistle blowing and Umi clapping her hands. “Okay everyone! Time to get back to practice!”

Kanan stood up and offered a hand to Nozomi. “Let’s go?” Nozomi smiled and let herself be pulled up.

  
\--

  
Days continued to pass by without big troubles for the women. Song writing and composing went well, with new ideas here and there. Costume making was taking a lot of time but otherwise, it’s going great. The dances wasn’t as flawless though, since some of them hadn’t danced in years. They had to stretch their bodies again and practice the basics. But then, of course, they made it through.

At that span of time, they got closer and closer with each other. They got along well amidst their differences. Everyday was a fun and noisy day in the Takami Inn, but no one really minded that. They were just office women who were playing and singing and dancing with their friends like the high school girls they used to be.

On the last day of their dance practice, Mari suddenly exclaimed, “gather ‘round _everybody_! I have an _announcement_ to make!”

Curious, everyone immediately approached Mari; well, everyone except Eli and Kanan. Kanan internally face palmed at the antics of her girlfriend, what with the sudden outburst of energy so early in the morning.

“Tonight, we will have a _party!”_ said Mari. “It’s the last day of our practice so we should go and celebrate!” She raised a fist to emphasize her joy and excitement.

“Oooh! A party sounds great!” Honoka cheered. Although she wasn’t there everyday of their practice, she naturally befriended all of them and she thought this was a nice idea to have more fun.

“Yeah!” Chika agreed. Her bubbly behavior still hadn’t changed through the years.

“Will there be games nya!?” Rin asked eagerly. Celebrations like this wouldn’t escape this orange-haired’s grasp.

“Yes!” answered Mari, “I have it all planned out!”

Kanan didn’t know if she should be proud that Mari knew how to plan things before recklessly doing it or not because Mari still went on with her _plan_ without consulting anyone first. But then again, this party _was_ indeed a great idea, so she couldn’t really oppose. “Where will we have it then?” she asked. She just hoped the blonde wouldn’t use so much of her money and influence and make the whole Ohara Hotel her playground again.

“At the beach, of course! We can go swim and drink!” said Mari. Mari and her drinks, yep, so not dangerous.

“Ah, that’s great!” said Eli. She wasn’t really fond of parties but if it’s with her friends, she’s all in.

“You just think it’s great because you get to drink, Elichi,” said Nozomi.

“Eh?” As if remembering something, Eli exclaimed, “no, no! I won’t drink anymore!” She wasn’t sure if it’s still a sour topic between them since they didn’t really talk about it.

Nozomi chuckled. “I’m just kidding. It’s okay, Elichi, really.” She gave her a kind and sweet, very Nozomi smile.

“We can talk about the details later. For now, let’s get to practice!” Dia ordered.

  
\--

  
Late afternoon came and the party was now getting started. There were tables and chairs on the shore for all of them. They invited Chika’s sisters too but they generously declined, saying that this party was for them all (and they had to watch over the inn and Shiitake’s offspring). So it was just the 18 of them. Snacks were prepared and of course, as Mari said, drinks too.

They played in the waters, courtesy of You and Rin, who prepared water guns and pales. As the sun slowly set into the horizon and the early evening breeze kissed their skins, they settled on the shore, eating, drinking, and talking about anything and everything they deemed as fun. That included, of course, embarrassing stories of their childhood and teenage years. Nozomi even mentioned that one photo of a three-year-old Eli covered in chocolate cake, which earned them some teasing on how Nozomi was already a part of the Ayase family that she got to see the blonde’s childhood photos.

It was fun chatters until Honoka decided they should dance.

“Dance?” Riko asked. “But we’ve already been dancing since morning.” The pianist was tired, as all of them, so she didn’t see some big point on why they would dance again.

“Eh, I don’t mean that kind of dance!” Honoka knelt beside Kotori and held out her hand. “I mean this!” And with a deep voice she said, “may I have this dance, oh pretty lady?”

Kotori giggled and accepted the offered hand. “Why yes, handsome knight.”

Honoka took Kotori’s hand and stood up. Together, they put their arms in a closed ballroom position, with Honoka taking the role of the male.

“This!” Honoka said. She waltzed with Kotori and twirled her a few times. They laughed together at the ginger-haired’s actions and looked at the other women expectantly.

“Oooh! We should do that!” yelled Mari. “I’ll go ask for music!” She clapped her hands, and, as if ready and waiting, men in black suit arrived with speakers in hand.

“Oh Mari...”

“I guess we have no choice, huh?” Maki stood up and extended her hand to Nico. “Care for a dance?”

“I guess I have no choice, since you asked so properly,” said Nico as she took Maki’s hand. Although the smile on her face told her she wanted this too.

“Kayo-chin, let’s dance nya!” Rin gave Hanayo a tight hug before standing up to dance.

“Mari?” Kanan knelt before Mari with a hand reached out and a warm smile. The blonde took it and pecked Kanan before they waltzed away.

“My Riri, let’s fall together in the realm of darkness by moving these human vessels together!” Yoshiko said as she let out a _dark_  laugh.

Riko shook her head, “yes, yes, Yocchan, I will dance with you.”

“Nozomi?” A voice called. Nozomi turned around and found Umi.

“Ah, Umi-chan!” Smiling she asked, “what’s up?”

“Would you like to dance with me?” Umi held out a hand.

Nozomi didn’t want to decline her junior but, “shouldn’t you be dancing with Kotori-chan?”

“Well,” Umi said, “Honoka still hadn’t let go of her.” She let out a sad sigh. “I-It’s alright if you don’t want to dance with me though!”

Nozomi giggled. “Of course I’ll dance with you!” She took Umi’s hand and started to dance.

“Yousoro!” You cheered as she took Chika in her arms, already moving her body to the beat of the music.

“Shall we dance too, zura?” Hanamaru asked Ruby.

“Mhm!”

Eli, standing alone in the middle of all the dancing pairs, looked around and searched for a certain someone. It was by then that she heard something by her side.

“Um,” Dia said shyly, “if you wouldn’t mind, would you please have a dance with me?” Dancing with her idol personally was a once in a lifetime opportunity and Dia would never dare not grab it.

“Ah,” Eli looked away, and then back at Dia, “sure!” She flashed her a smile and held her hand.

In the middle of their dance, Dia said, “I’m sorry you had to dance with me...”

“What? What’s there to be sorry for?” Eli asked. “Don’t apologize!”

“Well, I thought you would want to dance with Nozomi-san first...” Dia muttered, “but I saw her paired with Umi-san already so...”

“Ah,” Eli paused, “it’s alright. I can’t do anything about that too. Besides, I can always dance with her later.”

The night went on with the ladies enjoying their dances. They switched partners from time to time and some opted to sit and rest after a while.

When Eli decided to rest and get a drink (juice), her eyes lit up when she sighted Nozomi sitting alone near the tables. She approached her immediately and flashed a smile. “What’s a pretty lady doing here by herself?”

Nozomi looked up and giggled. “Just resting. It’s too noisy out there.”

“Aren’t you enjoying the party?” Eli asked.

“I am, I am,” answered Nozomi, “I just wanted to take a breather.”

“I see. Would you like to accompany me, then? I want to show you something.” Eli offered her hand which Nozomi fortunately (for Eli) accepted.

With drinks in her hand, Eli led Nozomi to the side of the beach. The party noise and lights didn’t reach the area but the moonlight sufficed.

Eli stopped on her tracks and turned back to Nozomi. “We’re here,” she said.

Nozomi looked around the place, and her mouth gaped when she saw how brightly the moon shone above the sky. The soft waves of the sea were calm, and the cool breeze embraced their bodies.

“The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” said Eli.

“It is...” A smile plastered on Nozomi’s lips as she reveled in the sight before her.

“Mari showed me this spot the other night. It was so wonderful that I needed to let you see it too.” An innocent and blissful smile formed on Eli’’s face.

 _‘So this is where you were the other night, huh?’_ Nozomi sat at one of the big rocks. “You’re really close with Mari-san, huh?” Out of all their newly found friends, Mari may be the one that Nozomi spoke to the least. It _totally_ wasn’t intentional though. Mari was always with Eli and she was always with Rin and You.

Eli noticed the slight annoyance in Nozomi’s tone and she quickly put the drinks down and sat beside her. “Are you mad?” she asked.

“Of course not,” said Nozomi, “why would I be? She’s your friend, I get it. She’s your friend who likes tall women with ponytail.”

“Eh?” Eli was confused at Nozomi’s words. “Oh, yeah, she likes those with ponytail.”

Fuel to the fire, added. “You like her too, don’t you? You two are very much alike. Blonde foreigners.” Eli could see the slight roll of Nozomi’s emeralds.

Now getting a clue, Eli said, “I like her. But she’s already got a tall woman with ponytail of her own.”

“Huh?” For the first time since she sat, Nozomi met Eli’s eyes.

“Kanan. She’s tall, and she has a ponytail. Even longer than mine too,” said Eli with amusement in her voice.

“Oh.”

“Don’t tell me you only realized that now?” Eli suppressed a laugh.

Nozomi’s cheeks reddened and she exclaimed, “stupid Elichi!”

Eli let out a small laugh. “What? Why am I the stupid one?”

“I don’t know! Go ask Mari-san!” Nozomi turned away.

“Why should I ask her?” asked Eli.

“Why do you always talk to her so much?” Nozomi asked back, faster than her normal speaking pace.

“Because she’s my friend and I’m fond of her?” Eli’s answered seemed like a question itself.

“You’re fond of her?” Nozomi repeated.

“She saved my life after all,” said Eli.

“Huh?”

As if she just remembered now that she hadn’t told Nozomi of it, she said, “oh, um, remember when I was hospitalized here? Mari was the one who took me here when she almost ran over me back in Tokyo.”

Nozomi’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s it?” She laughed a small one, seemingly relieved.

“What?” asked Eli, “did you think there’s _something_ between us?”

“Wh-what-no-” Nozomi was cut off when Eli suddenly gave her a hug.

“I told you she already has Kanan. I’m _your_ tall woman with ponytail. Yours only.” Eli’s embrace wasn’t so tight, unsure of how Nozomi would react to this action.

“I’m sorry,” Nozomi muttered into the embrace, “I thought...”

“It’s alright,” Eli pulled back, “but trust me when I say I’m yours only, okay?” She gave her a reassuring smile and kissed the top of her head. “Now then,” Eli stood up and held a hand in front of Nozomi, “I do believe that this fair maiden has yet to dance with me.” She smiled, in that charming and gentlemanly way. “May I kindly have this dance?”

Nozomi returned the smile and accepted her hand. “My pleasure.”

When in position though, Nozomi said, “but we don’t have any music here?”

Eli just flashed her another smile before humming a  **[song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBoaOnj6Ll4)** that was too familiar in both their hearts. They started to dance to the slow rhythm of the song, with every step delicate and full of emotions.

Nozomi felt soft and secure in the arms of Eli. Every turn she made, Eli made sure to catch her.

 _“...I’d be sure if I knew...”_ Eli started to sing the song’s lyrics too. She remembered it by heart, of course. It was the song she wrote for her all those years ago.

 _“...that you loved me for me...”_ Nozomi continued.

It made Eli stop in her tracks, “you... still remember it?”

“How can I forget, Elichi?” Nozomi wrapped her arms around Eli’s waist and rested her head on the blonde’s chest. _“Could I be the one you’re seeking? Will I be the one you choose?”_

Joy flooded Eli’s face and she eagerly returned the embrace. _“Can you tell my heart is speaking? My eyes will give you clues...”_

They continued their dance, all while in each other’s arms.

_I’ll be yours, together we shall always be as one, if you love me for me._

“Elichi...” Nozomi called, still moving to the rhythm of their heartbeats.

“Hmm?” Eli hummed, face buried in Nozomi’s locks.

“It hurt... when you left me...” Nozomi’s voice was soft, quiet, almost quivering.

Eli tightened her embrace. “I know... I’m sorry..”

Eli could feel Nozomi clutching her shirt. “Until now... it hurts not being with you.”

“Nozomi?” Eli pulled her head back to look at her.

“Elichi...” Nozomi met her blues, her own emeralds glistening with tears. “I love you... After all these years, I still love you.” More tears rolled down her cheek as she smiled and said, “I have always, always loved you.”

“Nozomi-I-Nozomi-you still love me?” Eli’s own tears flowed like waterfalls. “Am I, am I dreaming?”

Nozomi smiled. “You’re not dreaming, my Elichi!”

Eli visibly lit up, like a child being given a candy. Bliss washed over her and she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “C-Can you say it one more time?”

“I love you, Elichi.” Nozomi cupped Eli’s cheeks as she looked straight into her eyes. “I love you so much.”

Eli put her own hand on top of Nozomi’s and rivaled her gaze. “I love you too, Nozomi.” She planted a kiss on Nozomi’s palm as she repeated, “I love you too.”

They stayed like that for a while, too absorbed in each other’s eyes to care about the world.

Eli squeezed Nozomi’s hand. “Is it okay... if I call you mine again?” she asked, uncertain of what Nozomi’s answer might be.

Nozomi grinned - that adorably sweet and bright grin. “I’m all yours.”

And as the brightly shining moon watched over them, their lips met each other in a much awaited reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! The song mentioned above is "If you love me for me" from Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper. I love Barbie movies I'm sorry lol I love that song so I used it here. Also, what can you say about this chapter? I'm sorry if this feels rushed or smth


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